IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


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1.25 


itt  lii   12.2 

s  lite  *" 

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Sdfflices 
Corpcaation 


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23  WIST  MAIN  STMIT 

WIBSTH.N.Y.  14SM 

(716)  172-4503 


mm 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHIVi/iCIVIH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Inttituta  for  Historical  MIcroreproductlons  /  Instltut  Canadian  de  microraproductions  historiquas 


mm 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Note*  techniques  et  bibiiographiquee 


The  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best 
original  copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this 
copy  which  may  be  bibliographicaliy  unique, 
which  may  alter  any  of  the  images  in  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checiced  below. 


D 


D 


D 


D 


Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 


I      I   Covers  damaged/ 


Couverture  endommagie 

Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaurte  et/ou  peiiiculAe 

Cover  title  missing/ 

Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 

Coloured  maps/ 

Cartes  gtographiques  en  couleur 

Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  blacic)/ 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 


I      I   Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 


Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 

Bound  with  other  material/ 
ReilA  avec  d'autres  documents 


FTj    Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 


along  interior  margin/ 

La  re  liure  serrAe  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 

distortion  le  long  de  la  marge  IntArieure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  ae  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  aJoutAes 
lors  d'une  restauration  apparaissent  dans  le  texte, 
mais,  lorsque  cela  Atait  possible,  ces  pagee  n'ont 
pas  AtS  filmtes. 

Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  supplAmentaires: 


L'Institut  a  microfilm*  le  meilieur  exemplaire 
qu'il  iui  a  At*  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui  sent  peut-Atre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  image  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dans  la  m^hode  normale  de  filmage 
sont  indiquAs  ci-dessous. 


The 
tot 


|~~1   Coloured  pages/ 


D 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  film*  au  taux  de  rMuction  indiqu*  ci-dessous. 

10X  1«X  18X  22X 


Pages  de  couleur 

Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommagtes 

Pages  restored  and/oi 

Pages  restaurAes  et/ou  pcliicuites 

Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxe( 
Pages  dicoiortes,  tachettes  ou  piquAes 

Pages  detached/ 
Pages  dAtachtes 

Showthrough/ 
Transparence 

Quality  of  prir 

Quality  in<ftgale  de  I'impresslon 

Includes  supplementary  materit 
Comprend  du  materiel  suppi^mentaire 

Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  idition  disponibie 


r~~1  Pages  damaged/ 

Fyj  Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 

rri  Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 

I     I  Pages  detached/ 

r~^  Showthrough/ 

r~1  Quality  of  print  varies/ 

r*n  Includes  supplementary  material/ 

I — I  Only  edition  available/ 


Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  refilmed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalement  ou  partiellement 
obscurcies  par  un  feuiliet  d'errata,  une  pelure, 
etc.,  ont  tt6  filmtes  A  nouveau  de  fapon  A 
obtenir  la  meilieure  image  possible. 


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26X 


30X 


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12X 


16X 


20X 


24X 


28X 


32X 


The  copy  filmed  here  het  been  reproduced  thanke 
to  the  o«neroeity  of: 


L'exemplair^  filmA  fut  reproduit  grAce  A  la 
gAntrosIt*  de: 


UnivartM  da  Montreal 


UnivanM  da  Montreal 


The  Images  appearing  here  are  the  beat  quality 
possible  considering  the  condition  and  legibility 
of  the  original  copy  and  In  keeping  with  the 
filming  contract  specifications. 


Original  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  Ail 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  ^^^  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
whichover  applies. 


Les  images  sulvantes  ont  tt€  reprodu^tes  avec  le 
plus  grand  soin,  compte  tenu  de  la  condition  et 
de  la  nettet6  de  i'exemplaire  fiimA,  et  en 
conformity  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
fllmage. 

Les  exemplaires  originaux  dont  la  couvarture  en 
papier  est  imprimte  sont  fllmte  en  commenpant 
par  le  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
derniire  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'lllustration,  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  salon  le  ces.  Tous  les  autres  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  fllmte  en  commenpant  par  la 
premlAre  pege  qui  comporte  ui  a  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'lllustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  dernldre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symboies  suivants  apparattra  sur  la 
dernidre  Image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbols  — »•  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  ie 
symbols  ▼  signifie  "FIN". 


Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Thoaa  too  large  to  be 
entirely  Included  In  one  expoeure  are  filmed 
' -Yui.-^oing  In  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 

jht  r,ind  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
raquirstl.  The  following  diagrams  illuatrate  the 
method: 


Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  Atre 
filmis  A  des  taux  de  rMuction  diff Arents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  Atre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  cllchA,  11  est  film*  d  partir 
de  Tangle  supArleur  gauche,  de  gauche  A  drolte, 
et  de  haut  en  baa,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'Images  nAcessalre.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
lllustrent  la  mAthode. 


1 

2 

3 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

>1 


; 


) 


1  6   MAR  ISSS 


PICTURESQUE    SKETCHES 


OK 


AMERICAN  PROGRESS. 


COMPRISING 


©fficial  ©escriplioRs  of  Sreat  ^ii^^mericaa  Cities 

PRKPARFT)   UNDER 

THE  SUPERVISION  OF  THE  AUTHORITIES  OF  THE  RESPECTIVE  CITIES, 

SHOWING  THEIR  ORIGIN.  DEVELOPMENT.  PRESENT  CONDITION. 
COMMERCE  AND  MANUFACTURES. 

iLLlfSTRATED  SKETCHES  OF j^MERICy^N SceXERY, 


AMD 


CELEBRATKL)    RKSORTS. 

WITH    HISTORIrAI.  SKETCIirS  OF  THE 

WONDERFUL  ACHIEVEMENTS  OF  OUR  COUNTRY, 


UNDER    THE    VARIOUS    ADMIiNISTRATlONS. 


m 
J.    H.    BEALK,    M.A. 


ILLUSTRATED    WITH     NUMEROUS    ENGRAVINGS. 


•  NEW  YORK : 

The  Empire  Co-operative  Association. 

COPYRIGHTED,    1^89,   BV  THE  EMPIRE  CO-OPERATIVE  ASaJCIATION, 

: :        I       I      ■ 


I  7^1 


■';'n'r"iriiiir 


p*«i.M  p'lw^m  m  ptf^tpitivimv^^wmwimjwifii^ifi  «fufiii 


ANNOUNCEMENT. 


How  few  realize  that  the  State  of  Texas  is  larger  than  the  German  Empire 
or  than  Austro-Hungary,  and  that  California  is  half  as  large  again  as  Italy,  or 
that  Florida  is  larger  than  England  and  Wales.  It  has  been  stated  on  good 
authority  that  the  whole  quantity  of  cotton  used  in  the  world  could  be  grown 
on  1,900  square  miles,  or  less  than  one-fourteenth  of  the  State  of  Texas. 
Belgium  has  482  inhabitants  to  the  square  mile,  and  Great  Britain  290,  while 
the  United  States,  exclusive  of  Alaska,  have  less  than  14,  Should  the  density 
of  Great  Britain  ever  be  attained,  there  will  be  upwards  of  1,000,000,000 
Americans.  The  marvellous  progress  made  since  1880  in  the  settlement  of 
the  new  regions  thrown  open  by  railways  completed  since  that  date  can 
hardly  be  realized.  The  population  of  Dakota  has  quadrupled  in  five  years, 
and  its  wheat  crop  last  year  was  30,000,000  bushels,  twice  as  great  as  the 
whole  crop  of  Egypt.  The  growth  of  American  cities  seems  no  less  astonish- 
ing than  that  of  the  States.  New  York  has  doubled  her  population  in  half  the 
time  that  London  has  doubled  hers  (35  years);  while  Great  Britain  and  Ireland 
expend  annually  upon  education  $33,500,000,  the  United  States  expend 
$93,000,000,  which  is  more  ♦■han  is  spent  by  the  whole  of  Continental  Europe. 
Already  America  makes  one-fifth  of  the  iron  and  one-fourth  of  the  steel  of  the 
world,  and  is  second  only  to  Great  Britain  in  steel.  The  cotton  industries, 
also,  of  this  country  are  increasing  nearly  three  times  as  fast  as  those  of  the 
rest  of  the  world.  From  i860  to  1880  the  consumption  of  cotton  by  our 
factories  was  increased  by  140  per  cent.,  while  the  consumption  in  Great 
Britain  gained  but  25  per  cent.  So,  too,  the  American  woolen  industry  has 
increased  since  i860  six  times  as  fast  as  that  of  Great  Britain;  the  consump- 
tion of  wool  by  our  mills  in  1880  being  320,000,000  pounds,  against  338,000,000 
pounds  in  the  United  Kingdom. 

This  work  is  arranged  in  the  best  and  most  convenient  manner.  Each 
great  event  in  the  progress  of  our  country  is  sketched  sepaiately  and  complete 
in  itself.  The  reader  can  pick  it  up  at  any  moment,  read  a  sketch,  and  lay  it 
down  until  a  more  convenient  time.  The  sketches  of  our  great  cities  show 
their  origin,  development,  and  present  importance ;  their  great  industries, 
manufacturing,  and  commercial  achievements ;  their  public  institutions,  rapid 
growth  of  population,  etc.,  enabling  the  reader  to  form  a  correct  opinion  of 
each  great  city,  its  natural  and  acquired  advantages,  comparative  growth, 
wealth,  and  characteristics.  The  work  will  be  found  to  have  a  fascinating 
interest  for  all  readers,  young  and  old,  and  will  be  of  inestimable  value  to 
every  American  and  to  those  who  would  become  familiar  with  the  home  of 
their  adoption. 

0) 


liv 


THE   AUTHOR'S  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 

TO  THE 

MAYORS    OF    THK   VARIOUS    CITIBS, 

BOARDS   OF   TRADE,  CHAMBERS   OF   COMMERCE,  ETC., 
Who  have  Oencrouslv  Atsisrco  in  the  Phemkation  or 

PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN  PROGRESS. 


The  Author  desires  to  express  his  thanks  for  the  hearty  co-operation  of 
these  gentlemen,  and  to  acknowledge  the  great  obligations  under  which  he 
has  been  placed  through  the  invaluable  services  rendered  by  them  while  the 
work  was  in  progress,  and  takes  this  opportunity  to  testify  to  the  courteous 
and  liberal  manner  in  which  they  ably  seconded  his  efforts,  not  only  by 
furnishing  invaluable  information  concerning  their  respective  cities,  but  in 
revising  the  proof-sheets,  to  guard  against  any  possible  inaccuracy  of  state- 
ment, and  to  include  the  very  latest  facts  before  going  to  press.  He  is 
anxious,  especially,  to  acknowledge  the  eminent  courtesies  extended  by  the 
following  gentlemen : 

Hon.  Edmund  Fitzgerald,  Mayor  of  Troy,  N.  Y. 

Hon.  Henky  C.  Kumpf,  Mayor  of  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

Hon.  J.  E.  Boyd,  Mayor  of  Omaha,  Neb. 

Hon.  Geo.  D.  Hart,  Mayor  of  Lynn,  Mass. 

Hon.  C.  T.  Denny,  Mayor  of  Indianapolis,  Ind. 

Hon.  Ezra  H,  Ripple,  Mayor  of  Scranton,  Pa. 

Hon.  Willis  B.  Burns,  Mayor  of  Syracuse,  N.  Y. 

Hon.  J.  H.  Dannettell,  Mayor  of  Evansville,  Ind. 

Hon.  J.  H.  Stearns,  Mayor  of  Manchester,  N.  H. 

Hon.  Geo.  W.  Gardener,  Mayor  of  Cleveland,  O. 

Hon.  Thomas  A.  Doyle,  Mayor  of  Providence,  R.  I. 

Hon.  Edmund  Rice,  Mayor  of  St.  Paul,  Minn. 
(4) 


-vt,, 


ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. 


5 


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Hon.  S.  C.  Wilson,  Mayor  of  Harrisburg,  Pa. 

Hon.  Dr.  John  Woolverton,  Mayor  of  Trenton,  N.  J. 

Hon.  George  F.  Holcomb,  Mayor  of  New  Haven,  Ct. 

Hon.  C.  B.  Rhodes,  Mayor  of  Wilmington,  Dei. 

Hon.  J.  C.  Abbott,  Mayor  of  Lowell,  Mass. 

Hon.  Thomas  A.  Kercheval,  Mayor  of  Nashville,  Tenn. 

Hon.  Alex.  McKay,  Mayor  of  Hamilton,  Ont. 

Hon.  James  C.  Mackintosh,  Mayor  of  Halifax,  Nova  Scotia. 

Hon.  J.  E.  Bates,  Mayor  of  Denver,  Col. 

Hon.  John  L.  Whiting,  Mayor  of  Kingston,  Ont. 

Hon.  F.  Langelier,  Mayor  of  Quebec,  Can. 

Hon.  T.  S.  Bores  De  Veber,  Mayor  of  St.  John,  N.  B. 

Hon.  Francis  Armstrong,  Mayor  of  Salt  Lake  City. 

Hon.  H.  Leauqran,  Mayor  of  Montreal,  Can. 

Hon.  E.  D.  Hull,  Mayor  of  Wilmington,  N.  C. 

Hon.  Philip  Beec.^er,  Mayor  of  Buffalo,  N.  Y. 

His  Honor  Mayor  Courtney,  of  Charleston,  S.  C. 

His  Honor  Mayor  O'Brien,  of  Boston,  Mass. 

His  Honor  Mayor  Thacher,  of  Albany,  N.  Y. 

Wm.  Stockell,  President,  and  Pitkin  C.  Wright,  Secretary  of  the  Mar- 

facturers'  and  Mechanics'  Association  of  Nashville,  Tenn. 
David  P.  Hadden,  President  Taxing  District,  Shelby  Co.,  Tenn. 
Prof.  Jonathan  Tenney,  Albany,  N.  Y. 
Chas.  G.  Lord,  Secretary  Board  of  Trade,  Columbus,  O. 
Wm.  F.  Phelps,  Secretary  Chamber  of  Commerce,  St.  Paul,  Minn. 
R.  W.  Luce,  Secretary  Board  of  Trade,  Scranton,  Pa. 
M.  A.  Fanning,  Mayor's  Secretary,  St.  Louis. 
W.  P.  Lett,  City  Clerk  of  Ottawa. 
Henry  S.  Thayer,  Mayor's  Secretary,  Buffalo,  N.  Y. 
R.  G.  Neale,  Mayor's  Secretary,  Charleston,  S.  C. 
Heber  M.  Wells,  Recorder,  Salt  Lake  City. 


U'- 


\ 


U\ 


TESTIMONIALS. 


-♦■♦- 


Mayor's  Office,  XanhvUle,  Tenn. 
Oenttemen  :—  Your  letter  encloHiuff  n  brief  hintory  of  Nanhville  came 
duly  to  hand,  for  which  I  thank  you;  it  has  been  referred  to  a  committee 
of  ffentlemen  whom  we  have  oryanized  on  the  auhjerf,  and  in  a  few  day»  I 
will  be  able  to  report  to  you  the  result  of  their  work. 

Yours  truly, 
THOMAS   A.    KERCH  EVA  L,    Mayor, 

From  the  Manufacturers'  and  Mechanic^  Ass* on  of  Nashville^  Tenn. 

Gentlemen : — /  have  received  your  second  proof  on  the  City  of  Hashville. 

I  have  examined  it  in  all  its  details  with  great  care  and  cam,  vouch  for  the 

correctness  of  its  statements.    I  regard  it  as  complete^  satisfactory^  a/nd  as  good 

and  thorough  a  sketch  as  could  he  desired. 

W3f.    STOCKELL,   President. 

i  PITKIN  C.    WRIGHT,   Secretary. 
\  THOMAS  A.   KF.RCHRVAL,   Mayor. 


Attest 


Mayor's  Office,  Hamilton,  Ont. 
Gentlem,pn  :—Tn,  nnswer  to  ijowrs  of  the   2Gth  Inst,   with  cnclo.inl 
shrtnh  of  Hamilton,  I  ivniilil  s-i,if,  it  is  very  complete  for  the  space  occu- 
pied, ami  if  the  rest  of  the  ivorlc  is  as  correct  it  will  he  a  valuable  hook- 

I  am,  very  truly  yours, 

ALEX    McKJY,   Mayor. 


r 


Ottn^va,   Ontario. 
Ocntleinon :— Tlic  IVInyor  hnm  mndc  HOine  corroctionM  of  iiiiportimce 
In  your  Nicctch  orthc  City  orOtta«v:i,  partU'iilarly  In  relVrcnee  to  trnde, 
populntion,  etc.  ITours  truly, 

W,   P.   1.KTT,   City   Cleric. 

Mayor's  Office,  Buffalo,  N.  Y, 

Gentlemen : — In  accordance  with  your  request,  I  have  devoted 
some  little  time  to  the  preparation  of  an  article  on  the  City  of 
(Buffalo,  which  I  transmit  herewith,  and  can  assure  you  of  its  cor^ 
redness,  and  would  say  that  it  has  the  approval  of  His  Honor  the 
Mayor,  who  is  a  representative  business  man,  a  member  and  ex= 
(president  of  the  (Board  of  Trade,  (President  of  the  German  Insurance 
Co.,  and  the  head  of  the  firm  of  (Philip  (Beecher  c&*  Co.,  Wholesale 
Grocers.  ^  Yours  truly, 

HENRY  S.  THAYER,  Mayor's  Secretary. 


I  am  much  pleased  Dritli  tlie  article  on  the  City  of  Urilmingrton,  Del. 

C.   B.   RHODES,   mayor. 


HnTannata,  €}a. 
Xbe  sketch  av  It  no^r  titnndM  In  correct;    llic  .fSnyor  tlirectM  me  to 
thank  you  itor  yoar  courtesy  and  kIntlncHN. 

Ycry  lloMpeclfuiiy, 
FRiilVK    K.   KKIIAKKK,   Clerk  of  CoancU. 


^he  aHlcle  an  3i^^enian.,   J^.  Jf'.,  -^  think  u  caf^i^cct,  aih  luLLL 
Le  laith.  the  additLana.  and  caf^fectums.  _J'  hcuiii  made  an  the  fii^af. 


Q^Qui^  tndij., 

_fohn  /WaLu.ei'tan,  jM.at^ai^. 


^lEout  ft^«tcR  0^  ^otumvii^  16  a  Edit,  wMyiOM^  ^atement  oE  out  4pitj.. 


CHAS.    G.    LORD, 
Secretary  Columbus  Board  of  Trade. 


O-  o^nu  vHyO^fJC  t^.'uJ^u^  u^o-u^Vt^, 


It  ivovZcL  he  djiffloiCub  to  impTove  otz  tuhab  youu  scuy 
in  this  shetch  abouub  T-roy,  JT.  Y. 

EDMUND  FITZGERALD,   Mayor. 


'^'d  (3^.   <^u 


ul-^^d.^     Ciy^<it^c4.. 


I  think  the  article  on    Evansviilc,  Ind.,  is  very  satisfactory  and 

cannot  be  improved  on. 

J.    H.    DANNETTELL,    Mayor. 

FoM  have  admivahly  nucvefded  in  crowditiff  a  vast  quantity  of  tiseful 
information  in  a  very  limited  Hjmce. 

GEO,   M.  GARDNER,  Mayor  of  Cleveland. 


In  my  opinion  the  sketch  of  MancheBter,  N.  II.,  is  meritorious,  con^ 
prehenslTC,  and  satlsfikctory. 

«EO.   H.   STEARICS,   Mayor. 


r-r- 


IZ\ 


Tour  description  of  the  City  of  Detroit  is  generally  correct. 

J.   A.    WALSH,  Mayor's  Secretary. 


•    Mayor's  Office,  Davenport,  Iowa. 
The  article  on  the  City  of  Davenport  seems  to  be  all  right. 

E.  C.  CLEESSER,  Mayor  of  Davenport. 

Mayor's  Office,  Milwaukee. 
Gentlemen  • — Yours  of  the  29th  ultimo,  enclosing  corrected  proof  of  sketch 
of  this  city,  is  received.    The  Mayor  wishes  me  to  say  to  you  that  the  sketch 
as  now  written  is  quite  fair.  Yours  respectfully, 

F.   PARINGER,  Secretary. 

Mayor's  Office,  Kansas  City. 

I  have  noted  the  exact  assessed  valuation  of  city  property  for 

1885  and  1886 — see  corrections  on  proof — and  regard  your  article  as 

entirely  truthful. 

HENRY   C.    KUMPF,    Mayor. 

From  the  Mayor  of  Petersburgh,  Va. 
No  material  changes  can  he  made  in  your  proof  as  it  is  correct. 


Mayor^s  Office,  Kingston,  Ont. 
Gentlemen : 

I  ham  just  returned  to  the  city  and  find  your  sketch  of  it. 

I  believe  it  to  be  correct  and  a  very  fair  description ;  as  suggested  I 

have  slightly  amended  it. 

Yours  truly, 

JOHN  L.  WHITING,  Mayor. 

Mayor's  Office,  Quebec. 

Gentlemen  : — Enclosed  I  send  you  back  your  article  on  Quebec. 
It  is  as  good  an  article  as  could  be  desired ;  it  gives  a  very  fair  and 
correct  idea  of  our  city.  Yours  truly, 

F.  LAJfGELEIR,  Mayor  of  Quebec. 

Mayor's  Office,  Montreal,  Can. 
Gentlemen :— I  return  to  you  herewith  the  proof  of  the  Historical  Sketch  of  Montreal ; 
you  will  also  find  the  corrections  made  on  the  subject  by  our  City  Auditor.     I  also  mail 
you  to-day  a  couple  of  small  pamphlets,  containing  all  the  necessary  information. 

Yours  truly, 

H.  LEAUQRAN,  Mayor. 


f 


Mayor's  Office,  St.  John,  New  Brunswick. 


u^t^ 


Id-  i.e^ti'U^. 


T.    S.    BORES   DE  VEBER,  Mayor. 


Gentlemen:  Salt  Lake  City  Corporation,  Recorder's  Office. 

His  Honor  the  Mayor,  Mr.  Francis  Armstrong,  has  assigned  me  the 
duty  of  examining  the  proof-sheet  of  sketch  of  our  city.  The  Mayor  directs  me 
to  say  he  regrets  the  delay,  and  zvill  forward  the  proof,  with  such  corrections 
as  he  deems  appropriate,  within  a  day  or  two. 

Yours  very  respectfully, 

HEBER    At.     WELLS,    Recorder, 

Mayor's  Office,  Wilmington,  J^.  C. 

Qentlemen  t— Touni  of  the  17th,  -with  sketch,  receiTed,  and  And  the 

contents  correct. 

Tery  respectfully, 

E.    D.    HULL,    Ivlayor. 

Dear  Mrst  Taxing:  m«trict,  Shelby  County,  Tenn. 

We  hare  corrected  a  t&vr  items  in  the  proof  you  sent  us  of*  Memphl* 
and  have  returned  same  to  yon.  We  also  send  yon  some  reports  ft>om 
-which  yon  can  get  a  more  extended  notice  oi*  our  city,  its  financial 
condition,  etc.  These  reports  of  the  Tarious  departments  of  our  city  -vrOl 
be  conTincing  proof  that  we  -would  like  to  hare  a  true  and  correct 
publication.  Respectflnlly  yours, 

OATIO  P.  IIAVOKIV,  President. 

Taxing  District,  Shelby  County,  Tenn. 

Dear  Sirs  t— The  sketch  of  the  City  of  RlemphlB  is  all  satisfactory. 

I  am  yours  truly, 

DAVID  P.  MADDEN,   President. 


Dear  Sirs  :  City  of  Charlenton,  8,  C,  Executive  Department, 

I  beg  leave  to  enclose  you  herewith  the  corrected  sketch  of  the  City 
of  (Jharleeton,  and  to  say  that  there  is  nothing  further  to  suggest.  The  sketch 
is  admirable  and  concise*  Mayor  Courtenay  will  be  pleased  to  include  in 
the  City's  Library  a  copy  of  so  valuable  a  work  as  this  will  no  doubt  be, 

Vowrs  respectfully f 

H.  G.  NEALE,  for  the  Mayor. 


ffr 


u\ 


CONTENTS. 


AMERICAN    CITIES 


ALBANY,  NEW  YORK, 
ATLANTA,  GEORGIA, 

BALTIMORE,  MARYLAND,    . 
BOSTON,  MASS., 
BROOKLYN,  NEW  YORK,      . 
BUFFALO,  NEW  YORK, 

CAMBRIDGE,  MASS.,  . 
CHARLESTON,  SOUTH  CAROLINA, 
CHICAGO,  ILLINOIS,  . 
CINCINNATI,  OHIO,  . 
CLEVELAND,  OHIO,  . 
COLUMBUS,  OHIO,      .       .     . 

DAVENPORT,  IOWA,  . 
DENVER,  COLORADO, 
DETROIT,  MICHIGAN, 

EVANSVILLE,  INDIANA,       . 

GALVESTON,  TE^'AS, 

HALIFAX,  NOVA  SCOTIA,     . 
HAMILTON,  ONTARIO, 
HARRISBURG,  PENNSYLVANIA, 
HARTFORD,  CONNECTICUT, 

INDIANAPOLIS,  INDIANA, 


JACKSONVILLE,  FLORIDA, 
JERSEY  CITY,  N.  J.,    . 

KANSAS  CITY,  MISSOURL 
KINGSTON,  ONTARIO, 

LONDON,  ONTARIO,   . 
LOUISVILLE,  KENTUCKY, 
LOWELL,  MASSACHUSETTS, 
LYNN,  MASSACHUSETTS,     . 

(lO) 


PAGB 
123 

148 

66 

51 
126 


71 

82 

99 
96 

134 

132 

137 
86 

131 

152 

172 
170 
129 
118 

98 

142 

52 

130 
167 

173 

95 
124 

120 


CONTENTS. 

MANCHESTER,  NEW  HAMPSHIRE, 
MEMPHIS,  TENNESSEE, 
MILWAUKEE,  WISCONSIN, 
MINNEAPOLIS,  MINNESOTA, 
MOBILE,  ALABAMA,    . 
MONTREAL,  CANADA, 

NASHVILLE,  TENNESSEE,   . 
NEW  HAVEN,  CONNECTICUT, 
NEW  ORLEANS,  LOUISIANA, 
NEWARK,  NEW  JERSEY, 
NEW  YORK,  NEW  YORK, 

OMAHA,  NEBRASKA, 
OTTAWA,  ONTARIO,  . 

PETERSBURG,  VIRGINIA, 
PHILADELPHIA,  PENNSYLVANM 
PITTSBURGH,  PENNSYLVANIA 
PORTLAND,  MAINE,    . 
PROVIDENCE,  RHODE  ISLAND, 

QUEBEC,  CANADA, 

RICHMOND,  VIRGINIA, 
ROCHESTER,  NEW  YORK,    . 

SALT  LAKE  CITY,  UTAH 

SAN  ANTONIO,  TEXAS, 

SAN  FRANCISCO,  CALIFORNIA, 

SAVANNAH,  GEORGIA, 

SCRANTON,  PENNSYLVANIA, 

SPRINGFIELD,  MASSACHUSETTS 

ST.  LOUIS,  MISSOURI, 

ST.  PAUL,  MINNESOTA, 

ST.  JOHN,  NEW  BRUNSWICK, 

ST.  JOHN'S,  NEWFOUNDLAND 

SYRACUSE,  NEW  YORK, 

TOLEDO,  OHIO, 
TORONTO,  CANADA,  . 
TRENTON,  NEW  JERSEY 
TROY,  NEW  YORK, 

UTICA,  NEW  YORK,    . 

™fT?7^'''  DISTRICT  OF  COLUMBIA, 
WHEELING,  WEST  VIRGINIA 
WILMINGTON,  DELAWARE,    ' 
WILMINGTON,  NORTH  CAROLINA, 
WORCESTER.  MASSACHUSETTS    . 


II 

PAOB 

•  "3 

•  135 

•  103 

•  no 

•  144 
.  161 

•  M5 
.  116 

•  73 

•  53 

•  36 

•  ^33 

•  171 

•  136 

•  54 
.  105 

114 

IT2 
164 

157 
150 

155 
140 

79 
147 
125 
120 

83 
108 
166 

173 
122 

134 
169 

128 

121 

151 

17 

154 

143 
129 

114 


■«SWP»>*WW^iiH^«MI 


H 


12  CONTENTS. 


AMERICAN    SCENERY. 


THE  YOSEMITE  VALLEY,    .... 

THE  YELLOWSTONE  REGION,       . 

THE  NIAGARA  FALLS— THE  NEW  STATE  PARK, 

THE  THOUSAND  ISLANDS, 

DOWN  THE  RAPIDS  OF  THE  ST.  LAWRENCE, 

WATKINS  GLEN, 

THE  RHINE  OF  AMERICA  (HUDSON  RIVER), 


OUR    COUNTRY'S   ACHIEVEMENTS 

OUR  COUNTRY  COMPARED  WITH  THE  GREAT  NATIONS, 

THE  EARLY  SETTLEMENTS, 

THE  SETTLEMENT  OF  NEW  ENGLAND, 

THE  INDIAN  WAR,     .... 

SETTLEMENT  OF  NEW  YORK,      . 

THE  LAND  OF  PENN, 

SETTLEMENT  IN  THE  OTHER  COLONIES, 

THE  COLONIAL  PERIOD,      . 

THE  GROWTH  AND  GOVERNMENT  OF  THE  COLONIES, 

THE  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE— THE  GATHERING  CLOUD, 

THE  BURSTING  OF  THE  STORM, 

GEORGE  WASHINGTON,  COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, 

JOHN  HANCOCK,         .... 

BENJAMIN  FRANKLIN— ISRAEL  PUTNAM, 

PATRICK  HENRY,  THE  ORATOR, 

SAMUEL  ADAMS 

BATTLE  OF  BUNKER  HILL  AND  SIEGE  OF  BOSTON, 

THE  DECLARATION  OF  INDEPENDENCE, 

THE  PROGRESS  OF  THE  WAR,     . 

THE  FRENCH  AID  TO  THE  COLONIES, 

THE  CAMPAIGN  OF  1777  AND  1778, 

THE  WYOMING  MASSACRE, 

THE  WAR  IN  1779  AND  1780, 

THE  FIRST  AND  ONLY  TRAITOR, 

THE  CLOSING  YEARS  OF  THE  STRUGGLE, 

THE  CONSTITUTIONAL  PERIOD, 

ADMINISTRATION  OF  WASHINGTON,    . 

ADMINISTRATION  OF  JOHN  ADAMS,     . 

ADMINISTRATION  OF  THOMAS  JEFFERSON, 

ADMINISTRATION  OF  JAMES  MADISON, 

SECOND  WAR  FOR  INDEPENDENCE,      . 

THE  BATTLE  OF  NEW  ORLEANS, 

ADMINISTRATION  OF  JAMES  MONROE, 


rAOB 

177 
179 
182 
188 
198 

201 
306 


210 
216 
217 
220 

222 
223 
224 
226 
229 

238 
241 

242 

243 
244 

247 
253 
254 
256 
258 
262 
264 
268 
269 

274 
277 
280 
281 
284 
285 
287 
289 


OF     JAMES 
LINCOLN, 


CONTENTS. 

LAFAYETTE  (SKETCH  AND  VISIT), 

ADMINISTRATION  OF  JOHN  QUINCY  ADAMS, 

ADMINISTRATION  OF  ANDREW  JACKSON,      . 

ADMINISTRATION  OF  MARTIN  VAN  BUREN, 

ADMINISTRATION  OF  HARRISON  AND  TYLER, 

ADMINISTRATION  OF  POLK  AND  MEXICAN  WAR, 

THE  PERIOD  OF  AGITATION, 

ADMINISTRATION  OF  ZACHARY  TAYLOR,      . 

ADMINISTRATION  OF  MILLARD  FILLMORE, 

ADMINISTRATION  OF  FRANKLIN  PIERCE,      . 

THE    STRUGGLE    IN    KANSAS— ADMINISTRATION 
BUCHANAN 

THE  CIVIL  WAR— ADMINISTRATION  OF  ABRAHAM 

THE  OPERATIONS  OF  1862, 

THE  EMANCIPATION  PROCLAMATION, 

THE  MILITARY  OPERATIONS  OF  1863, 

THE  MILITARY  OPERATIONS  OF  1864, 

THE  CLOSING  EVENTS  OF  THE  WAR, 

RECONSTRUCTION  AND  PROGRESS— ADMINISTRATION  OF  AN- 
DREW JOHNSON,         .... 

ADMINISTRATION  OF  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT,     . 

THE  CENTENNIAL  EXHIBITION, 

ADMINISTRATION  OF  RUTHERFORD  B.  HAYES, 

ADMINISTRATION  OF  JAMES  A.  GARFIELD,  . 

ADMINISTRATION  OF  CHESTER  A.  ARTHUR, 

PROGRESS  AND  DEVELOPMENT  SINCE  THE  CIVIL 

JAMES  ABRAM  GARFIELD  (POEM), 

OUR  POSITION  AMONG  THE  NATIONS, 

OUR  HERO  DEAD  (POEM), 


WAR 


13 

PAGB 
290 

293 

296 
297 
302 
310 

3" 
3'3 

318 
326 

332 
340 
341 
350 
357 

360 
362 
367 
369 
371 
373 
378 
381 
382 

390 


'«  ll 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


\       i\ 


ill 


THE  CAPITAL  AT  WASHINGTON, 

SENATORS'  RECEPTION-ROOM,     . 

THE  SENATE  CHAMBER,     . 

THE  TREASURY  DEPARTMENT,  . 

THE  WHITE  HOUSE, 

THE  BUREAU  OF  AGRICULTURE, 

THE  CORCORAN  GALLERY  OF  ART, 

THE  SMITHSONIAN  INSTITUTION, 

THE  NATIONAL  MUSEUM  BUILDING, 

THE  WAR,  STATE,  AND  NAVY  DEPARTMENTS, 

THE  BUREAU  OF  ENGRAVING  AND  PRINTING 

ARLINGTON  HOUSE  OF  ROBERT  E.  LEE, 

THE  SOLDIERS'  HOME,         .... 

MOUNT  VERNON,        ..... 

WILLARD'S  HOTEL 

THE  PENSION  OFFICE 

STATUES  AND  MONUMENTS, 
FISHING  ON  THE  POTOMAC, 
BARTHOLDI  STATUE,  LIBERTY  ENLIGHTENING  THE  WORLD; 
SCENE  IN  NEW  YORK  BAY, 

THE  BROOKLYN  BRIDGE,   .... 
ELEVATED  RAILROAD,  NEW  YORK, 
BROADWAY  AND  TRINITY  CHURCH,  NEW  YORK, 
CENTRAL  PARK,  NEW  YORK, 
FIFTH  AVENUE,  NEW  YORK, 
GENERAL  GRANT  AND  FAMILY,  NEW  YORK, 
THE  CUSTOM-HOUSE,  NEW  YORK, 
THE  GRAND  CENTRAL  DEPOT,  NEW  YORK,  . 
SHIP-BUILDING,  NAVY  YARD,  BROOKLYN,      . 
INDEPENDENCE  HALL,  PHILADELPHIA, 
FAC-SIMILE  LETTER  BY  BENJAMIN   FRANKLIN, 
MAIN  EXHIBITION  BUILDING,  PHILADELPHIA, 
MACHINERY  HALL,  PHILADELPHIA,      . 
CARPENTER'S  HALL,  PHILADELPHIA,  . 
PARK  STREET,  BOSTON,       . 
THE  CUSTOM-HOUSE,  BOSTON,    . 
THE  HANCOCK  HOME,  BOSTON,  . 
LONGFELLOW'S  RESIDENCE,  CAMBRIDGE, 
GORE  HALL,  CAMBRIDGE,  . 
INTERIOR  OF  DRAWING-ROOM  CAR,    . 
LAFAYETTE  SQUARE,  NEW  ORLEANS, 
(14^ 


FAGB 

'U 

17 

i 

18 

19 

20 

21 

24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

"i.r 

29 

30 

31 

32 

33 

34 

35 

1 

36 

37 

,'  |- 

39 

% 

40 

42 

43 

¥ 

si''- 

44 

45 

46 

47 

49 

53 

57 

58 

59 

60 

61 

66 

.M 

67 

68 

69 

70 

72 

73 

LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS. 


15 


29 
30 
31 
32 
33 
34 
35 
36 
37 

39 
40 

42 

43 
44 

45 
46 

47 
49 
53 

57 
58 

59 
60 
61 
66 
67 
68 
69 
70 
72 

73 


THE  COTTON  EXCHANGE,  NEW  ORLEANS,     . 

THE  MAIN  EXHIBITION  BUILDING,  NEW  ORLEANS, 

UNITED  STATES  AND  STATE  BUILDINGS,  NEW  ORLEANS 

NEW  ORLEANS  TO  SAN  FRANCISCO,      . 

THE  BALDWIN  HOUSE,  SAN  FRANCISCO, 

THE  PALMER  HOUSE,  CHICAGO, 

THE  COURT  HOUSE,  ST.  LOUIS, 

THE  MERCANTILE  LIBRARY,  ST.  LOUIS, 

THE  NEW  POST-OFFICE,  ST.  LOUIS,       . 

THE  CHAMBER  OF  COMMERCE,  ST.  LOUIS, 

THE  SOUTHERN  HOTEL,  ST.  LOUIS,      . 

LOUISVILLE,  KENTUCKY,   . 

CLEVELAND,  OHIO,    .... 

DRAWING-ROOM  CAR, 

VIEW  OF  THIRD  STREET,  CINCINNATI, 

VIEW  OF  FOURTH  STREET,  CINCINNATI, 

VIEW  OF  MILWAUKEE,  WISCONSIN,       . 

VIEW  OF  UNION  DEPOT,  PITTSBURGH, 

VIEW  OF  THE  COURT  HOUSE,  PITTSBURGH 

VIEW  OF  ST.  PAUL,  MINN., 

SUBURBS  OF  MINNEAPOLIS,  MINN., 

FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH,  PROVIDENCE,  R.  L, 

CITY  HALL  AND  COURT  HOUSE,  PORTLAND,  MAINE, 

VIEW  OF  CITY  OF  ALBANY,  N.  Y., 

VIEW  OF  PARK,  BUFFALO,  N.  Y., 

VIEW  OF  CITY  OF  DAVENPORT,  lA., 

VIEW  OF  CITY  OF  OMAHA,  NEB., 

VIEW  OF  CITY  OF  COLUMBUS,  O., 

VIEW  OF  CITY  OF  DENVER,  COL., 

VIEW  OF  CITY  OF  CHARLESTON,  S.  C 

VIEW  IN  AND  AROUND  CHARLESTON,  S.  C 

A  STREET  IN  SAN  ANTONIO,  TEXAS,    . 

BAY  STREET,  JACKSONVILLE,  FLORIDA, 

VIEW  OF  MOBILE,  ALA.,       . 

VIEW  OF  SAVANNAH,  GA., 

VIEWS  IN  AND  AROUND  ATLANTA,  GA., 

SCENES  IN  GALVESTON,  TEXAS, 

MAIN  STREET,  SALT  LAKE  CITY,  UTAH, 

STATE  CAPITOL,  RICHMOND,  VA., 

PATRICK   HENRY  ADDRESSING   THE  ASSEMBLY  OF  VIRGINIA, 

MAP  SHOWING  NEW  YORK  AND  CANADIAN  CITIES, 

ANCIENT  GATE,  QUEBEC,   . 

MONTCALM'S  HEADQUARTERS,  QUEBEC, 

VIEW  OF  ST.  JOHN,  N.  B 

VIEW  OF  KINGSTON,  ONT., 

VIEW  OF  TORONTO  UNIVERSITY, 

VIEW  OF  CHAUDIERE  FALLS,  OTTAWA, 


74 
76 
77 
78 
79 
83 
88 

89 
90 

90 
91 

95 
96 

97 

100 

100 
roi 

'05 
[06 

ro8 

[09 

12 

>5 

23 

[26 

[32 

'33 

'34 
'37 
'38 

'39 
141 
[42 
144 
'47 
'49 
'53 
'56 
'57 
'58 
[62 

[64 

'65 
[66 

[68 

[69 

171 


i6 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


VIEW  OF  LONDON,  ONT.,     . 

BRIDAL  VEIL  FALLS,  VOSEMITE, 

UPPER  YELLOWSTONE  FALLS,     . 

NIAGARA  FALLS,         .... 

THE  HORSE-SHOE  FALL,    . 

THE  BRIDGE,  BATH,  AND  GOAT  ISLAND, 

TABLE  ROCK 

TERRAPIN  TOWER 

NIAGARA  FROM  NEAR  QUEENSTOWN  HEIGHTS, 
RIVER  NIAGARA  BELOW  THE  FALLS,   . 
NIAGARA  SUSPENSION  BRIDGE,  . 
NIAGARA  RIVER,  THE  WHIRLPOOL,       . 
ALEXANDRIA  BAY,  THOUSAND  ISLANDS, 
BETWEEN  THE  ISLANDS,     . 
ON  THE  ISLANDS,      .... 
ROUND  ISLAND,  .... 

BONNIE  CASTLE,  THOUSAND  ISLANDS, 
DOWN  THE  RAPIDS  OF  ST.  L.AWRENCE, 
THE  GORGE,  WATKINS  GLEN,      . 
GLEN  MOUNTAIN  HOUSE, 
THE  TRIPLE  CASCADE,  WATKINS  GLEN, 
RAINBOW  FALLS,  WATKINS  GLEN. 
FAC-SIMILE  LETTER  OF  BENEDICT  ARNOLD 
THE  PALISADES  ON  THE  HUDSON,       . 
TURK'S  FACE  ON  THE  HUDSON, 
BATTLE  MONUMENT,  BALTIMORE, 
INDIANS  VIEWING  THE  FIRST  RAILROAD, 
CHAMBER  OF  COMMERCE,  BOSTON,       . 

LAFAYETTE 

5ANTA  ANNA, 

GENERAL  WINFIELD  SCOTT, 
THE  GREAT  CANNON, 
ENGINE-ROOM  OF  EXPOSITION, 


TO  MAJOR  ANDRE 


rAOB 

173 

176 

177 
182 

183 

184 
184 

185 

186 
186 

187 
187 

190 

191 

192 

193 

196 

198 

200 
204 
205 

206 
207 

2o8 
209 
225 
232 
252 
290 
298 
301 

325 
368 


h 


^1 


OFFICIAI.    CHITSXJS    OF    1890. 


THE  FOLLOWING  TABLE  GIVES  THE  POPULATION  OF  EACH  CITY  OF  THE  UNITED 
STATES   THAT  IS  SKETCHED  IN  THE  PRESENT   WORK,   AND 
ALSO  INCLUDES  ALL  CITIES  HA  VING  50,000 
INHABITANTS  AND  OVER. 


Xamerioal 
Bulk. 


CITIES. 


20 
42 

28 

7 

6 

4 

11 

41 

50 

63 

2 

9 

10 

80 

68 

48 

27 

58 

15 

56 

40 

«7 

44 

62 
54 
26 
71 
19 
23 
73 
52 
57 
58 
20 
61 
60 
43 
18 


Albany,  N.Y., 
Atlanta,  Gai, 
Allegheny,  Pa., 
Baltimore,  Md., 
Boston,  Mass., 
Brooklyn,  N.T., 
Buffalo,  N.Y., 
Cambridge,  Mass., 
Camden,  N.J., 
Charleston,  S.C, 
Chicago,  111., 
Cincinnati,  O.,  . 
Cleveland,  O., 
Columbus,  O.,    . 
Davenport,  la. 
Dayton,  O., 
Denver,  Colo., 
Des  Moines,  la., 
Detroit,  Mich.,. 
Evansville,  Ind., 
Fall  River,  Mass.,. 
Galveston,  Tex. 
Grand  Rapids,  Mich, 
Hampton,  Va., 
Harrisburg,  Pa.,    . 
Hartford,  Conn., 
Indianapolis,  Ind., 
Jaxsksonville,  Fla., 
Jersey  City,  N.J.,  . 
Kansas  City,  Mo., 
Keokuk,  la.,  . 
Lincoln,  Neb.,   . 
Los  Angeles,  Cal. , 
Lowell,  Mass.,   . 
Louisville,  Ky.,     . 
Lynn,  Mass., 
Manchester,  N.  H., 
Memphis,  Tenn., 
Milwaukee,  Wis.,  . 


1800. 


94,640 

65,514 

104,967 

434,151 

446,507 

804,377 

254,457 

69  837 

58,274 

54,592 

1,098,576 

296,309 

261,546 

90,398 

28,500 

58,868 

106,670 

50,067 

205,609 

50,074 

74,351 

29,118 

64,147 

2,800 

40,104 

53,183 

107,445 

17,160 

163,987 

132,416 

14,075 

55,491 

60,394 

77,605 

101,005 

65,084 

43,983 

04,586 

204,150 


1880. 


90,758 

87,409 

78,683 

333,313 

362,839 

566,663 

155,134 

53,669 

41,659 

49,984 

503,185 

255,750 

160,146 

51,647 

21,831 

38,678 

35,629 

22,408 

110,340 

29,280 

49,006 

23,248 

32,010 

2,684 

30,726 

43,551 

75,056 

10,927 

120,733 

55,785 

13,117 

13,008 

11,183 

59,475 

133,7.'5S 

38,074 

33,030 

33,593 

115,583 


*  Estimated. 


r^fimmmmm 


OFFICIAL    CENSUS    OP    1890,     Continued, 


M  I 


:( 


VII 


r'i 


Nmucrioal 

h   UK, 


18 
66 
30 
17 
32 
12 

1 
21 
37 
60 

3 
18 
64 


25 
47 
36 
22 
57 
63 
8 

34 
58 
72 
55 
5 

24 
31 
35 
49 
46 
59 
14 
65 
45 
70 
33 


CITIES. 


Minneapolis,  Minn.,  . 
Mobile,  Ala.,. 
Nashville,  Tenn., 
Newark,  N.J., 
New  Haven,  Conn., . 
New  Orleans,  La., 
New  York,  N.Y.,       . 
Omaha,  Neb., 
Paterson,  N.J., 
Petersburg,  Va.,   . 
Philadelphia,  Pa.,     . 
Pittsburg,  Pa., 
Portland,  Me.,  . 
Portland,  Or., 
Princeton,  N.  J., 
Providence,  R.I.,  . 
Reading,  Pa. ,     . 
Richmond,  Va.,     . 
Rochester,  N.Y., 
Salt  Lake  City,  Utah, 
San.  Antonio,  Tex.,  . 
San  Francisco,  Cal., 
Savannah,  Ga.,  . 
Scranton,  Pa., 
Springfield,  Mass.,     . 
St.  Augustine,  Fla., 
St.  Joseph,  Mo., 
St.  Louis,  Mo., 
St.  Paul,  Minn., 
Syracuse,  N.Y., 
Toledo,©., 
Trenton,  N.J. , 
Troy,  N.Y., 
Utica,  N.  Y.,  . 
Washington,  D.C.,    . 
Wheeling,  W.  Va., 
Wilmington,  Del.,     . 
Wilmington,  N.  C, 
Worcester,  Mass., 


ISUO. 


164,738 
31,822 
76,300 

181,518 
85,981 

241,905 
1,513,501 

139,526 

78,358 

23,317 

1,044,804 

238,473 

36,609 

72,079 

3,940 

132,043 
58,926 
80,838 

138,327 
45,025 
38,081 

297,990 
41,762 
83,450 
44,164 
15,000 
52,811 

460,357 

133,156 
87,877 
82,652 
58,488 
60,605 
44,001 

220,796 
35,052 
01,437 
20,008 
84,536 


18S(). 


46,887 
29,132 
43,461 

136,508 
62,882 

216,090 

1,206,299 

30,518 

51,061 

21,656 

847,17© 

156,389 

33,810 

17,577 

3,209 

104,856 
43,278 
63,600 
89,330 
20,768 
20,561 

233,959 
80,709 
45,850 
38,340 
12,117 
82,431 

350,518 
41,473 
51,791 
50,187 
29,910 
56,747 
33,914 

147,293 
80,737 
42,478 
17,350 
58,201 


NOTE  :— The  population  of  the  several  cities  as  given  in  the  body  of  the  work  for 
the  years  1881  to  1880  inclusive,  was  in  many  instances  based  upon  an  estimate  furnished 
by  their  respective  Mayors,  and  not  upon  an  actual  enumeration.  This  fact,  therefore, 
should  be  borne  in  mind  in  making  a  comparison  of  these  figures  with  those  of  the 
"  Official  Census  of  1800." 


t  As  given  by  the  Mayor,  including  suburbs. 


*  Estimated. 


OFFICIAL,    CHUSXJS    OF    1890. 


POPULATION    OP    THE    STATES    AND    TERRITORIES. 
[Prom  the  Official  Census  of  1890.] 


391 


work  for 
urnished 
lerefore, 
e  of  the 


Vumariwl 

iank. 

STATES  AND  TERRITORIES. 

1800. 

1880. 

Inor>ni0  per  Cent. 

17 

AlabHiiia        .... 

1,508,073 

1,363,505 

19.46 

48 

Arizona 

, 

59,091 

40,440 

47.00 

24 

Arliansas 

1,135,385 

803,525 

40.28 

23 

California  . 

1,304,003 

864,694 

39.24 

81 

Colorado 

410,975 

104,337 

111.49 

29 

Connecticut 

746,861 

033,700 

19.78 

43 

Delaware 

167,871 

146,608 

14.50 

89 

DIst.  of  Columbin 

839,796 

177,634 

29.37 

83 

Florida  . 

390,435 

369,493 

44.88 

13 

Georgia 

1,834,366 

1,543,180 

18.95 

45 

Idaho 

84,329 

32,610 

158.29 

3 

Illinois 

3,818,636 

3,077,873 

24,06 

8 

Indiana 

2,189,030 

1,978,301 

10.65 

10 

Iowa  . 

1,906,729 

1,624,615 

17.36 

19 

Kansas   . 

1,423,485 

996,096 

42.91 

11 

Kentucky  . 

1,855,436 

1,648,690 

12.54 

25 

Louisiana 

1,116,828 

939,946 

18.83 

80 

Maine 

660,261 

648,936 

1.75 

27 

Maryland 

1,040,431 

934,943 

11.28 

6 

Massachusetts  . 

2,233,407 

1,783,085 

25.26 

9 

Michigan 

2,089,793 

1,636,937 

27.66 

20 

Minnesota . 

1,300,017 

780,773 

66.50 

21 

Mississippi     . 

1,284,887 

1,131,597 

13.55 

5 

Missouri     . 

2,677,080 

2,168,380 

23.46 

44 

Montana 

131,769 

39,159 

236.50 

2« 

Nebraska    . 

1056,793 

453,403 

133.60 

49 

Nevada  . 

44,327 

63,366 

<128.81 

33 

New  Hampshire 

375,837 

346,991 

8.31 

18 

New  Jersey    . 

1,441,017 

1,131,116 

27.40 

43 

New  Mexico 

144,803 

119,505 

21.16 

1 

New  York 

5,981,934 

.1,082,871 

17.09 

16 

North  Carolina 

1,617,340 

1,399,750 

15.54 

41 

North  Dakota 

182,435 

* 

4 

Ohio   . 

3,666,719 

3,198,063 

14.65 

46 

Oklahoma 

61,701 

1- 

88 

Oregon 

313.490 

174,763 

78.80 

3 

Pennsylvania 

5,348.574 

4,383,891 

22.55 

85 

Rhode  Island    . 

345,343 

276,531 

34.88 

23 

South  Carolina 

1,147,161 

995,577 

15.33      b 

87 

South  Dakota  . 

327,848 

* 

13 

Tennessee 

1,763,723 

1,543,359 

14.35 

7 

Texas . 

2,233,220 

1,591,749 

40.24 

40 

Utah       . 

306,498 

143,963 

43.44 

36 

Vermont     . 

333,205 

333,286 

d     .03 

15 

Virginia 

1,648,911 

1,512,505 

9.01 

34 

Washington 

349,516 

75,116 

365.30 

28 

West  Virginia       . 

760,448 

618,457 

22.96 

14 

Wisconsin  . 

1,683,091 

1,315,497 

27.99 

47 

Wyoming 

00, 5«) 

20,789 

191.45 

Total  - 


62,480,540         50,155,7-^3 


24,57 


Alaska  and  Indian  Territory  are  not  included  in  this  enumeration. 

*  Two  States  formed  from  the  territory  of  Dakota  -  Population  in  1880,-136,177. 
\  New  territory  found  in  1890. 


f 


31 


OfilGIN  AND  DETELOFIBNT  OF  AHBRIGAN  GITIBS. 


WASHINGTON   D.C. 


THE     CAPITOL.  V 

Washington  is  the  Capital  of  the  United  States  ;  it  is  in 

the  Federal  District  of  Columbia,  situated  on  the  left 

bank  of  the  Potomac  River,  i6o  miles  from  its  mouth, 

between  Anacostia   River   and   Rock  Creek,  which 

separates  it  from  Georgetown.    It  is  37  miles  from 

Baltimore,  136  from  Philadelphia,  120  from   Richmond, 

225  from  New  York,  432  from  Boston,  700  from  Chicago, 

856  from  St.  Louis,  1,033  from  New  Orleans,  and  2,000 

from  San  Francisco.    The  Potomac  at  Washington  is  one  mile  wide, 

and  deep  enough  for  the  largest  vessels. 

When  in  October,  1800,  the  transfer  of  the  Government  of  the 
United  States  was  made  to  its  present  seat,  the  most  visionary 
dreamer  could  hardly  have  foreseen  the  magnificence  and  beauty  of 
the  city  of  Washington  as  it  is  to-day. 

The  grandeur  and  greatness  of  the  model  Government  of  the 

world  is  fittingly  represented  by  the  stately  city,  which  is  the  home 

|of  the  central  government  of  the  most  powerful  republic  the  world  has  ever 

(17) 


i8     PICTURESQUR  SKETCHES   OF  AMERICAN    PROGRESS. 

known,  and  its  growing  splendor  (tlie  evidence  of  the  prosperity  of  the  j)eople) 
is  but  an  exemplification  of  the  saying  of  the  great  President  Lincoln  that  "  a 
(iovernnient  of  the  people  and  by  the  people  shall  not  perish  from  the  face  of 
the  earth." 

In  points  of  historic  interest  there  is  not  a  city  in  the  world  possessing  the 
attractions  to  the  American  citizen,  that  the  Capital  of  the  nation  affords.  In 
accordance  with  the  act  of  Congress  (March  3,  1 791)  the  city  was  laid  out,  under 
the  direction  of  President  Washington,  on  a  plateau  40  feet  above  the  river, 
with  several  elevations,  with  over  250  miles  of  streets  and  avenues.     The 


I 


SENATORS'    RECEPTION-ROOM. 


streets  are  from  80  to  120  feet  wide,  and  the  avenues  130  to  160  feet — the  lat- 
ter are  named  after  various  States.  General  Washington  called  it  the  Federal 
City,  and  it  was  not  until  after  his  death  that  it  received  his  name.  The 
streets  from  north  to  south  are  numbered,  and  those  from  east  to  west  are  let- 
tered. Twenty-one  avenues  cross  these  in  various  directions  ;  the  new  Execu- 
tive Avenue  winds  from  the  White  House  around  the  city  to  the  Capitol.  The 
original  plan  of  the  city  was  so  extensive  and  the  increase  of  population  so 
small,  that  Washington  was  often  called  "  the  city  of  magnificent  distances." 

In  1839  «i"  English  traveler  said  :  "  The  town  looks  like  a  large  straggling 
village  reared  in  a  drained  swamp."    In  185 1  the  work  of  laying  out  and  adorn 


OGRr:ss. 

of  the  people) 
ncoln  that  "  a 
oni  the  face  of 

possessing  the 
•n  affords.  In 
aid  out,  under 
'ove  the  river, 
ivenues.     The 


CITY   OF   VVASIIINCiTON. 


19 


ing  the  reservations  and  parks  was  commenced  under  the  skillful  guidance  of 
A.  J.  Downing,  but  his  death,  the  next  year,  and  the  neglect  of  Congress, 
arrested  it  for  twenty  years.  In  187  a  government  for  the  District  was  estab- 
lished by  Congress,  with  a  governor  and  legislature  and  a  board  of  public 
works,  to  which  was  given  control  of  the  streets,  avenues,  and  sewers  of  Wash- 
ington and  Georgetown,  with  authority  to  improve  them  under  a  general  plan. 
A  system  oi  sewerage  and  of  pavements  was  organized  which  resulted  in  regrad- 
ing  most  of  the  highways,  paving  160  miles  of  streets  with  stone,  wood,  or 
concrete,  planting  about  30,000  shade  trees,  and  improving  the  public  squares 
with  fences  and  trees.  In  three  years  the  city  was  transformed.  From  that 
time  to  the  present  a  very  large  number  of  public  buildings  and  private  resi- 
I  dences  have  been  erected.  The  city  covers  about  6,000  acres,  of  which  the 
Government  reservations  comprise  500,  and  the  streets  2,500,  leaving  3,000  for 


sa. 

m 

:t— the  lat- 

he Federal 

ime.    The 

est  are  let- 

;w  Execu- 

)itol.  The 

alation  so 

tances." 

straggling 

' 

nd  adorn 

THE    SENATE    CHAMBER. 

the  lots  on  which  private  residences  are  built.  As  open  places  are  in  all  parts 
)f  the  city,  fresh  air  is  abundant,  and  healthfulness  is  greatly  promoted.  The 
mdulating  surface  of  the  city  produces  a  constant  variety  of  scenery  without 
)bstructing  the  travel.  Its  environs  present  a  beautiful  and  picturesque  land- 
scape, which  is  seen  to  the  best  advantage  from  the  portico  or  dome  of  the 
!)apitol,  and  drew  from  Humboldt  the  declaration,  "  In  all  my  travels  I  have 
lot  seen  a  more  charming  panorama." 

THE  CAPITOL   BUILDING. 

Travelers  who  have  visited  all  the  capitols  of  the  world  pronounce  this  to 
)e  the  finest  civic  building  extant,  and  certainly  every  American  may  well  be 
)roud  of  it.  It  stands  upon  Capitol  Hill,  fronting  both  east  and  west.  It  is 
rji  feet  long  from  north  to  south,  324  feet  in  width,  covers  an  area  of  three 
imd  one-half  acres  of  ground,  and  has  cost  upwards  of  $15,000,000.  The  cen- 
|ral  portion  is  of  sandstone,  painted  white ;   this  was  partially  desti;pyed  in 


--^- — ^. — ^ 


&: 


20    PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN   PROGRESS. 

1814  by  the  British.  The  extensions  are  of  Massachusetts  marble,  with  mono- 
lith columns  of  Maryland  marble.  The  dome  is  of  iron,  and  weighs  40  tons. 
It  is  surmounted  by  a  statue  of  "  Freedom,"  from  designs  made  under  the 
direction  of  Jefferson  Davis,  at  the  time  he  was  Secretary  of  War.  The  cor- 
ner-stone of  the  original  Capitol,  now  the  central  part  of  the  structure,  was  laid 
in  1793,  by  George  Washington,  with  Masonic  ceremonials.  The  corner-stone 
of  the  extensions  was  laid  in  185 1,  Daniel  Webster  delivering  the  oration. 
The  Capitol  is  always  open  to  visitors  except  on  legal  holidays.  The  admis- 
sion is  free,  and  parties  endeavoring  to  collect  an  entrance  fee  to  this  or  any 
other  public  building  in  Washington  are  impostors,  and  ought  to  be  handed 
over  to  the  police  without  ceremony. 

Here  the  objects  of  interest  are  so  numerous  that  space  can  be  given  only 
to  a  brief  mention  of  each  of  them.  Upon  a  platform  erected  in  the  east  cen- 
tral portico,  the  oath  of  ofifice  is  administered  to  the  President  in  the  presence 

of  the  public,  and 
here  he  delivers  his 
inaugural  address. 
Fronting  the  porti- 
co is  Greenough's 
statue  of  Washing- 
ton. On  each  side 
the  steps  leading  up 
to  the  portico  arc 
emblematical  groups 
in  marble  ;  the  one 
on  the  south  side  is 
Persico's  "  Discov- 
ery," the  one  on  the 
north  Greenough's 
"  Civilization."  The 
first  represents  Co- 
lumbus holding  a 
globe  aloft,  while  an  Indian  maiden  crouches  by  his  side.  In  the  other  the 
pioneer  husband  and  father  rescues  the  wife  and  child  from  impending  death 
at  the  hands  of  the  bloodthirsty  Indian.  Within  the  portico  are  statues  of 
"  War  "  and  "  Peace  "  in  niches.  The  door  opening  into  the  rotunda  is  the 
Rogers  bronze  door,  so  widely  famous.  It  is  well  worth  the  closest  study.  It 
was  cast  in  Munich,  in  1861,  from  designs  by  Randolph  Rogers,  and  cost  alto- 
gether about  $30,000.  It  is  nine  feet  wide  and  seventeen  feet  high,  and 
here,  in  a  great  bronze  picture,  is  told  the  storj'  of  the  life  of  Christopher 
Columbus. 

Having  studied  this  magnificent  work  of  art,  the  visitor  enters  the  rotunda, 
avast  circular  room,  97  feet  in  diameter,  300  feet  in  circumference,  and  180 
feet  in  height  to  the  base  of  the  canopy  which  surmounts  it.  The  lower  part 
of  the  wall  of  the  rotunda  is  occupied  by  eight  historical  pictures.     Four  of 


TREASURY    DEPARTMENT. 


CITY   OF   WASHINGTON. 


21 


these  pictures,  viz. :  "  Declaration  of  Independence,"  "  The  Surrender  of  Gen- 
eral Burgoyne,"  "  The  Surrender  of  Lord  Cornwallis,"  and  "  The  Resignation 
of  General  Washington,"  were  painted  by  John  Trumbull,  son  of  Governor 
Trumbull,  of  Connecticut,  and  for  a  time  an  officer  of  General  Washington's 
staff.     The  chief  value  these  paintings  have  lies  in  the  fact  that  every  face  in 
them  is  a  portrait.    These  four  pictures  cost  the  Government  $32,000.    Besides 
these  are  "  De   Soto    Discovering  the   Mississippi,"  by  Wm.   H.  Powell,  for 
i  which  the  Government  paid  $15,000  ;  "  The  Landing  of  Columbus,"  by  Van- 
derlyn,  $12,000;  "The  Baptism  of  Pocahontas,"  by  Chapman,  $io,OfXj;  and 
"The  Embarkation  of  the  Pilgrims,"  by  Weir,  $10,000.     There  are  four  doors 
lopening  into  the  rotunda,  and  over  each  is  an  alto  relievo,  viz. :  over  the  north 
Idoor,  "  Penn's  Treaty  with  the  Indians  in  1682,"  by  Gevelot ;   over  the  south 
Idoor,  "The  Conflict  between  Daniel  Boone  and  the  Indians  in  1775,"  by  Cau- 
Isici ;  over  the  east  door,  "  The  Landing  of  the  Pilgrims  on  Plymouth  Rock," 


THE    WHITE    HOUSE. 


Iso  by  Causici ;  and  over  the  west  door  is  the  "  Preservation  of  Captain  Smith 

ly  Pocahontas,"  by  Capellano,    Above  the  architrave  is  a  fresco  in  chiaro-oscura 

|f  sketches  from  American  history.     The  work  was  begun  by  Brumidi,  and  at 

is  death  was  taken  up  by  one  of  the  masters  of  his  school.     It  will,  perhaps, 

completed  by  the  end  of  the  present  year.  In  the  canopy  above  is  Brumidi's 
llegorical  painting,  representing  "  Washington  Seated  in  Majesty."  By  climb- 
»g  365  steps  the  visitor  may  ascend  to  the  top  of  the  dome,  whence  a  mag- 
ificent  view  of  the  city  of  Washington  and  the  surrounding  country  may 

had. 

The  old  hall  of  the  House  of  Representatives  is  reached  by  passing  through 

le  south  door  of  the  rotunda.     The  finest  piece  of  sculptured  work  in  Wash- 

^gton  is  the  marble  clock  in  this  hall.     It  is  by  Franzoni,  and  represents  the 

Genius  of  History  Making  up  Her  Records."     This  hall  is  now  known  as 

jStatuaryHall,"  and  is  reserved  for  the  reception  of  statues — each  State  being 


1 — 


22    PICTURESQUE   SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN   PROGRESS. 

permitted  to  send  statues  of  two  of  her  chosen  sons.  Of  these  there  are 
already  here  Ethan  Allen,  from  Vermont  ;  John  Winthrop  and  Samuel  Adams, 
from  Massachusetts  ;  George  Clinton  and  Robert  R.  Livingston,  of  New  York; 
Edward  D.  Baker,  of  Oregon  ;  William  King,  of  Maine ;  Nathaniel  Greene 
and  Roger  Williams,  of  Rhode  Island ;  and  Jonathan  Trumbull  and  Roger 
Sherman,  of  Connecticut.  Besides  these,  there  are  a  plaster  cast  of  Houdan's 
Washington  ;  Vinnie  Reams'  Lincoln  ;  a  bust  of  Kosciusko  ;  Ames'  bust  of 
Lincoln  ;  statues  of  Alexander  Hamilton,  Robert  Fulton,  and  Thomas  Jeffer- 
son ;  bust  of  Thos.  Crawford,  the  designer  of  the  statue  of  "  Freedom  "  and  the 
Senate  bronze  doors ;  a  mosaic  portrait  of  Lincoln,  made  by  an  Italian  who 
never  saw  him  ;  portraits  of  Joshua  Giddings,  Gunning  Bedford,  Henry  Clay, 
Charles  Carroll  of  Carrollton,  General  Washington,  Benjamin  West,  and  Thomas 
Jefferson.  A  large  safe  standing  in  this  hall  is  filled  with  papers  of  historical 
value  placed  there  in  1876  ;  the  safe  is  not  to  be  opened  till  1976. 

Proceed  ing 
o^~ri^^y^b^irShn^!!lA^^!»K^I?^IZ^i;^SI     still    further 

south,  through 
a  corridor  of 
handsome  pro- 
portions, the  new 
hall  of  the  House 
of  Representa- 
tives is  reached. 
This  is  139  feet 
long,  93  feet  wide, 
and  36  feet  high. 
Galleries  which 
will  accommo- 
date over  1,000 
people  range 
about  the  sides 
of  the  chamber,  and  are  always  open  to  the  public  when  the  House  is  in 
session.  There  are  reserved  spaces  for  families  of  the  Representatives,  news- 
paper correspondents,  and  the  diplomatic  corps.  The  ceiling  is  a  vast  sky- 
light, the  opaque  glass  being  set  in  panels  in  great  iron  frames,  each  panel 
bearing  the  arms  of  a  State.  On  one  side  of  the  Speaker's  chair  is  a 
portrait  of  Washington,  by  Vanderlyn  ;  on  the  other  a  portrait  of  Lafay- 
ette, by  Ary  Schefer,  both  full  length  ;  there  are  also  paintings  by  Bierstadt. 
"  The  Landing  of  Henry  Hudson  "  and  "  Discovery  of  California,"  and  some 
frescoes  by  Brumidi,  also  find  space  here.  The  Capitol  is  floored  with  English 
Minton  tiles.  The  corridors  are  lined  with  rooms  for  the  use  of  the  various 
committees  of  Congress,  elaborately  frescoed  and  furnished.  The  staircases 
on  the  House  side  leading  to  the  galleries  are  of  Tennessee  marble.  Over  the 
western  staircase  is  Deutze's  great  picture,  "  Westward  the  Course  of  Empire 
Takes  it  Way  ";  over  the  eastern  is  Carpenter's  picture,  "  The  Proclamation 


EAST    ROOM    OF    THE    WHITE    HOUSE. 


CITY  OF  WASHINGTON. 


23 


i  of  Emancipation."  The  library  of  the  House  is  located  on  the  second  floor. 
The  ground  floor  is  used  for  committcc-rooms,  the  House  post-ofifice,  the 
House  restaurant,  folding-rooms,  etc.,  etc.  Still  further  down  are  the  engines 
land  furnaces  which  supply  heat  and  ventilation  to  the  south  end  of  the  build- 
ing. Underneath  the  rotunda  is  the  crypt,  now  nearly  all  taken  up  with 
temporary  rooms  in  which  are  stored  the  surplus  books  belonging  to  the 
Congressional  Library  proper,  and  for  which  accommodations  are  lacking  in 
jthe  rooms  assigned  to  the  library  above. 

Retracing  his  steps  from  the  House  wing,  the  visitor  on  entering  the 
Irotunda  will  gain  admission  to  the  Congressional  Library  through  swinging 
Idoors  on  the  west.     Here  he  finds  himself  in  the  midst  of  a  library  comprising 

jpwards  of  450,000  volumes.     They  are  stored  in  three  beautiful  halls,  the 

lain  one  being  91  feet  long,  34  feet  wide,  and  38  feet  high  ;  the  two  side  halls 

irc  each  95  feet  long  and  30  feet  wide.     The  general  public  is  admitted  to  the 
^ibrary  between  the 

lours  of  nine  and 
four  every  day  ex- 
cept Sunday ;  and 

)crsons  are  at  lib- 

priy  to  call  for  any 

;lc.,ircd    book    for 

,'urposcs   of   rcfcr- 

[;ice,    but    arc   not 

lllowed    to    take 

licin    away.      Ta- 
bles and  chairs  arc 

iirnishcd    for    the 

lonvcnience  of 

jadcrs.     Members 

|f    Con  rcss     and 

Icrtain  officials  are 

llowed    to    take 

Jooks  away  with  the  understanding  that  they  must  be  returned  within  a  certain 
jme. 

Leaving  the  library,  the  visitor  passes  through  the  north  door  to  the  Su- 
Ireme  Court  Room.  This  was  formerly  the  Senate  Chamber.  Admission 
l-m  only  be  had  when  the  court  is  in  session.  It  was  in  this  room  that  the 
Electoral  Commission  sat  in  February,  1877. 

Thence  through  a  broad  corridor  the  visitor  passes  to  the  Senate  Chamber, 

room  of  similar  arrangement  to  the  Hall  of  the  House  of  Representatives. 

is  not  so  large,  however,  being  but  1 12  feet  long  by  82  wide,  and  it  is  much 
etter  furnished  than  the  Hall  of  the  House.  Back  of  the  Vice-President's 
Siair,  and  separated  from  the  Senate  by  a  spacious  lobby,  is  the  famous  Marble 
^oom,  where  Senators  may  receive  callers  during  sessions  of  the  body.     This 

a  well-proportioned  and  beautiful  room,  the  ceiling  supported  by  lofty  Cor- 


THE    INTERIOR    DEPARTMENT. 


I    f 


J 


24    PICTURESQUE   SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN   PROGRESS. 

inthian  columns  of  Italian  marble,  and  the  walls  lined  with  costly  mirrors. 
Adjoining  it  on  the  north  is  the  President's  room  ;  it  is  so  called  because  it  is 
used  by  the  President  whenever  he  has  occasion  to  visit  the  Capitol  to  confer 
with  members  of  Congress  in  person.  During  the  last  hours  of  a  session  the 
President  invariably  occupies  this  room  with  the  members  of  his  Cabinet  to 
sign  bills  as  they  are  passed  by  the  two  Houses,  as  in  case  he  does  not  sign 
before  the  session  closes  these  enactments  fail  of  becoming  laws.  At  the 
opposite  end  of  the  lobby  is  the  Vice-President's  room.  Here  Henry  Wilson 
died.  East  of  this  room  is  the  vast  apartment  known  as  the  Ladies'  Recep- 
tion-room, where  ladies  may  come  to  call  on  Senators  on  business.  Still 
further  south  is  the  post-office  of  the  Senate,  from  which  entrance  is  gained 
to  the  office  of  the  Sergeant-at-Arms.  On  the  north  side  of  the  Senate  Cham- 
ber are  the  offices  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Senate. 

Passing  out  upon  the  portico  over  the  eastern  entrance  to  the  Senate,  the 

celebrated  Crawford 
Bronze  Door  will  be 
found  worthy  of  at- 
tention. It  illus- 
trates Revolutionary 
history,  and  cost  in 
the  neighborhood  of 
$60,000.  It  was  cast 
at  Chicopee,  Mass. 
0\  cr  the  centre  of 
the  portico  are  a 
number  of  figures  il- 
lustrating the  "  Prog- 
ress of  American  Civ- 
ilization and  the  De- 
cadence of  the  Indian 
Race."  Returning 
to  the  interior,  the 
visitor  will  find  over  the  staircase  on  the  west  side  of  the  Senate  Chamber, 
Walker's  oil  painting  of  "  The  Battle  of  Chapultepec,"  in  many  respects  one 
of  the  most  remr.rkable  works  of  art  in  Washington  ;  over  the  east  staircase 
hangs  Powell's  painting  of  "  Perry's  Victory  at  Put-in-Bay,  Lake  Erie."  The 
west  staircase  on  the  Senate  side  is  of  white  marble  ;  on  the  east  side  it  is 
of  Tennessee  marble.  The  ground  f^oor  is  occupied  by  committee-rooms, 
bath-rooms,  the  Senate  restaurant,  etc.  In  the  basement  is  located  the  heat- 
ing and  ventilating  apparatus — well  worth  a  visit. 

The  central  building,  situated  on  the  summit  of  a  gentle  elevation,  was 
designed  chiefly  by  B.  H.  Latrobe,  and  commenced  in  1793.  The  extension, 
with  the  dome,  was  designed  by  Thomas  W.  Walter.  The  grounds  consist 
of  35  acres.  It  was  burned  by  the  British  troops  in  18 14,  completed  in  1825, 
and  extended  by  the  addition  of  two  spacious  wings  in  185 1. 


THE    BUREAU    OF    AGRICULTURE. 


)GRESS. 


CITY  OF  WASHINGTON. 


25 


costly  mirrors, 
d  because  it  is 
pitol  to  confer 
i  a  session  the 
his  Cabinet  to 
does  not  sign 
laws.  At  the 
Henry  Wilson 
Ladies'  Recep- 
jusiness.  Still 
ance  is  gained 
Senate  Cham- 
he  Senate,  the 
ated  Crawford 
:c  Door  will  be 

worthy  of  at- 
>n.       It     illus- 
Revolutionary 
y,  and  cost   in 
::ighborhood  of 
X).    It  was  c.isl 
licopee,    Mass. 
the  centre   of 
aortico    are    a 
cr  of  figures  il- 
tingthc  "  Prog- 
American  Civ- 
)n  and  the  De- 
:eof  the  Indian 
Returning 
interior,  the 
nate  Chamber, 
y  respects  one 

east  staircase 
Erie."  The 
east  side  it  is 
imittec-rooms, 
rated  the  heat- 
elevation,  was 

he  extension, 
•ounds  consist 

leted  in  1825, 


The  new  Hall  of  Representatives  was  occupied  in   1857,  and  the  Senate 
Chamber  in  1859.     During  the  war  of  the  Rebellion  the  work  was  carried  on  ; 
jthe  great  dome  rose  from  day  to  day  while  the  city  was  an  intrenched  camp, 
land  at  the  close  of  1863  the  statue  of  "  Freedom  "  was  lifted  to  its  place. 

There  are  many  other  objects  of  interest  in  the  Capitol  building  to  which  a 
[lack  of  space  prevents  reference.     Regularly  authorized  guides  may  be  found  in 
the  building,  who  are  allowed  to  charge  visitors  a  moderate  fee  for  their  services. 

THE   BOTANICAL  GARDENS. 
The  visitor  may  pass  out  of  the  western  entrance  and  in  a  very  few  min- 
lutes'  walk  reach  the  Botanical  Gardens,  with  its  eleven  conservatories,  the 
[largest  being  300  feet  long.    To  naturalists  and  lovers  of  rare  plants  and  trees, 
[there  is  much  here  of  highest  interest. 

On  the  east  of  the 
[President's  house  is 
the  massive  Treasury 
)uilding,  of  freestone 
ind  granite,  468  feet 
jy  264,  with  Ionic 
jorticoes  on  all  four 
sides,  the  monolithic 
columns  on  the  south 
front  being  31  ^  feet 
ligh  and  4>^  feet  in 
liameter;  and  on  the 
/est,  the  magnificent 
luilding  for  the 
state,  War,  and  Navy 
departments,  of 
jranite,  in  the  Ro- 
lan-Doric  style,  with 

r  fa9ades,  of  which  those  on  the  north  and  south,  and  on  the  east  and  west 
Respectively,  correspond. 

THE  TREASURY  DEPARTMENT. 
The  doors  of  the  Treasury  Department  are  open  at  nine  o'clock  in  the 
lorning,  and  close  to  the  general  public  at  two  in  the  afternoon.  The  White 
louse  is  not  open  to  visitors  till  ten  A.M.,  and  by  the  time  the  objects  of 
Interest  in  the  Treasury  Department  have  been  seen,  an  entrance  can  be  had 
Id  the  President's  house,  the  grounds  af  which  adjoin  those  of  the  Treasury. 

The  Department  building  covers  the  space  occupied  by  two  blocks.     It  is 

fcoo  feet  wide  at  the  north  and  south  fronts,  and  582  feet  long.     The  four 

fronts  are  elaborately  finished  in  the  colonnade  style,  with  porticoes  on  the 

Horth,  .south,  and  west  fronts.     The  east  front,  the  first  one  built,  is  of  Vir- 

Jinia  freestone  ;  the  others  are  of  the  Dix  Island  granite.    The  structure  cost 


THE    CORCORAN    GALLERY    OF    ART. 


26    PICTURESQUE   SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN   PROGRESS. 

nearly  $7,000,000.  It  was  many  years  in  building,  having  been  added  to  from 
time  to  time,  as  the  increase  of  business  required  ;  and  yet  it  is  not  large 
enough  to  accommodate  all  the  bureaus  belonging  to  the  Treasury.  The 
cash-room  is  the  most  beautiful  in  the  building,  if  not  in  all  Washington. 
The  walls  and  ceilings  arc  entirely  of  foreign  marbles.  A  permit  from  the 
Treasurer  of  the  United  States  can  readily  be  secured,  by  means  of  which  the 
great  vaults  can  be  seen,  the  visitors  being  under  charge  of  a  Government  offi- 
cial. The  offices  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  are  well  worth  examining. 
They  are  richly  and  tastefully  furnished,  and  the  rooms,  facing  south,  are  of 
noble  and  beautiful  proportions. 

THE  WHITE   HOUSE. 
The  Executive  Mansion,  standing  on  elevated  grounds  between  the  Treas- 
ury on  the  east  and  the  War,  State,  and  Navy  Department  buildings  on  the 

west,  is  two  stories 
r7i"^"^^':>>^  high    and     170   feet 

long.  It  is  modeled 
after  the  palace  of 
the  Duke  of  Lein- 
ster,  the  arciiitect, 
James  Hoban,  being 
from  Ireland.  It  is 
of  sandstone,  paint- 
ed white.  It  fronts 
north  on  Pcnnsylva 
nia  Avenue,  across 
which  is  Lafayette 
Park.  From  the 
north  front  projects 
a  huge  portico,  un- 
der which  the  car- 
riages of  visitors  are 
driven.  The  south  front  looks  upon  a  lovely  park  stretching  down  to  the 
Washington  Monument.  The  visitor  enters  at  the  north  door,  and  finds 
himself  at  once  in  a  magnificent  vestibule  40  by  50  feet  in  size.  A  sash  screen, 
filled  with  colored  and  ornamented  glass,  separates  the  vestibule  from  the  cor- 
ridor running  in  front  of  the  Blue,  Red,  and  Green  parlors  and  the  State 
dining-room.  Ushers  are  in  attendance  to  show  to  visitors  those  portions 
of  the  house  open  to  the  public.  The  East  Room  is  80  feet  long  by  40  in 
width,  and  is  24  feet  high.  The  ceilings  are  paneled  and  richly  frescoed,  while 
the  chandeliers,  mirrors,  furniture,  and  carpets  are  of  the  most  magnificent 
description.  This  room  is  used  on  all  occasions  of  ceremony,  grand  recep- 
tions, etc.  The  Green  Room  adjoins  on  the  west,  and  is  so  called  because 
it  is  entirely  furnished  and  adorned  in  green.  The  Blue  Room  comes 
next,  furnished  in  blue ;  in  turn  the  Red  Room  is  entered,  still  proceeding 


THE    SMITHSONIAN    INSTITUTION. 


CITY  OF   WASHINGTON. 


2^ 


added  to  from 
it  is  not  large 
rreasury.  The 
11  Washington. 
;rmit  from  the 
ns  of  which  the 
overnment  oflfi- 
rth  examining, 
g  south,  are  of 


veen  the  Treas- 

uildings  on  the 

is  two  stories 

and    170   feet 

It  is  modeled 

the    palace  of 

Duke   of   Lein- 

the    arciiitect, 

s  Hoban,  being 

Ireland.     It  is 

nd&tone,  paint- 

hite.     It  fronts 

on  Pcnnsylva 

\vcnue,    across 

is    Lafayette 

From    the 

front  projects 

^e  portico,  un- 

vhich   the    car- 

i  of  visitors  are 

down  to  the 

oor,  and  finds 

A  sash  screen, 

e  from  the  cor- 

and  the  State 

those  portions 

long  by  40  in 

frescoed,  while 

st  magnificent 

grand  recep- 

called  because 

Room   comes 

;ill  proceeding 


west.  This  last  is  used  more  than  any  other,  as  the  sitting-room  for  the 
President's  family.  The  State  dining-room  is  in  the  southwest  corner  of  the 
house.  It  is  40  by  30  feet,  and  is  very  richly  furnished.  The  family  din- 
ing-room is  also  on  the  first  floor,  in  the  northwestern  part  of  the  house. 
The  east  half  of  the  floor  above  is  used  for  the  transaction  of  public  business. 
Here  the  clerks  and  secretaries  are  found,  and  here  is  the  Cabinet  Room, 
where  Cabinet  sessions  are  held,  and  where  the  President  usually  receives  vis- 
itors on  ordinary  routine  business.  The  kitchens,  store-rooms,  servants'  quar- 
ters, etc.,  are  in  the  basement.  The  conservatory  is  attached  to  the  west  end 
of  the  building.  It  is  beautiful  and  completely  appointed,  and  cost  over 
§40,000.  The  Executive  stables  are  at  some  distance  southwest  of  the  man- 
sion. They  cost  over  $30,000.  The  White  House  was  first  occupied  by  John 
Adams,  in  1800,  the  corner-stone  having  been  laid  in  1792.  It  was  burned  by 
the  British  in  18 14. 
The  cost  of  the  pres- 
ent structure  was 
something  over 
§300,000.  Portraits 
of  the  various  Presi- 
dents  arc  hung 
t  li  r  o  11  g  h  o  u  t  the 
building. 

THE    INTERIOR 
DEPARTMENT. 

The  Department 
of  the  Interior  has 
a  grand  Doric  build- 
ing,  comgi  on  ly 
known  as  the  Patent 
Office.       A    visitor 

can  take  one  of  the  cars  on  the  Metropolitan  Street  Railway  and  in  five 
minutes  reach  the  Interior  Department  building,  within  which  are  located 
the  Patent  Office,  the  General  Land  Office,  the  Pension  Office,  the  In- 
dian  Office,  the  Census  Office,  the  Educational  Bureau,  etc.  For  the 
purpose  of  saving  time,  however,  he  may  wisely  stop  at  Tenth  Street, 
whereon  is  located  within  half  a  square  of  "  F  "  Street  the  old  Ford's 
Theatre  in  which  President  Lincoln  was  assassinated,  and  the  house  directly 
opposite  where  the  great  martyr  died.  The  old  theatre  is  now  used  as  the 
Army  Medical  Museum,  having  been  bought  by  the  Government  after  the 
assassination. 

The  Interior  Department  building  covers  two  squares  of  ground,  between 
Seventh  and  Ninth  and  "F"and  "G"  Streets.  Its  dimensions  are  410  by 
275  feet.  It  is  of  the  Doric  style  of  architecture.  The  centre,  the  first  part 
built,  is  of  freestone,  the  rest  of  marble  and  granite,  and  its  cost  was  nearly 


NATIONAL  MUSEUM  BUILDING. 


I 


1! 


I 


28     PICTURESQUE   SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN    PROGRESS. 

$3,000,000.     There  are  thousands  of  patent  models  and  other  objects  of  inter- 
est in  this  building. 

THE  WAR,  STATE,  AND  NAVY  DEPARTMENTS. 
A  short  walk  brings  the  visitor  to  the  building  occupied  by  the  War, 
State,  and  Navy  Departments,  just  west  of  the  White  House.  This  is  one  of 
the  most  beautiful  structures  in  Washington.  It  is  in  the  Italian  renaissance 
style,  and  is  built  of  Maine  and  Virginia  granite.  The  architect  was  A.  B. 
Mullett.  It  is  342  feec  in  width,  and  runs  567  feet  from  north  to  south.  The 
interior  finishing  is  in  harmony  with  the  exterior.  Taking  everything  into 
consideration,  it  is  probably  finished  more  handsomely  and  expensively  than 
any  other  public  building  in  the  country.  The  State  Department  has  charge 
of  the  original  Declaration  of  Independence.  The  War  and  Navy  Depart- 
ments have  each  museums  of  interesting  relics,  etc.,  and  superb  libraries.  In 
all  the  departmental  buildings  are  to  be  seen  portraits  of  the  various  Secreta- 
ries, from  the  earliest 
days  to  the  present. 
It  will  be  some  years 
before  this  building 
is  entirely  finished, 
for,  although  it  is 
now  occupied,  the 
west  wing  yet  re- 
mains to  be  built. 

THE  DISTRICT 
COURT-HOUSE, 
Where  the  District 
Courts  hold  their 
sessions,  is  located 
on  the  southern  part 
of  Judiciary  Square, 
between  Fourth  and 
Fifth  and  "  D  "  and  "  G  "  Streets.  The  new  building  for  the  accommodation 
of  the  Pension  Bureau  is  now  being  constructed  on  the  north  side  of  this  square. 
It  was  in  the  District  Court-House  that  Guiteau  was  tried  and  the  famous 
Star  Route  trial  was  held. 

The  Post-Office  Department  building  stands  opposite  to  the  Interior  De- 
partment building,  on  the  square  bounded  by  "  E  "  and  "  F  "  and  Seventh 
and  Eighth  Streets.  It  is  of  white  marble,  and  is  of  the  Corinthian  style  of 
architecture.  The  Dead-Letter  Ofifice  is  the  chief  object  of  interest  in  this 
building,  to  which  access  is  readily  had. 

The  Department  of  Justice,  or  Attorney-General's  office,  is  situated  at  the 
corner  of  Sixteenth-and-a-half  Street  and  Pennsylvania  Avenue,  north  of  the 
Treasury  Department,    The  building,  of  brick  and  brown-stone,  was  erected 


THE  WAR.   STATE,  AND  NAVY  DEPARTMENTS. 


i 


CITY   OF   WASHINGTON. 


29 


by  the  Freedman's  Bank  for  its  own  uses,  and  was  bought  but  a  year  or  two 
a'TQ  by  the  Government.     There  is  nothing  here  to  attract  the  tourist. 

THE   BUREAU  OF   ENGRAVING  AND   PRINTING 

Is  located  on  an  eminence  but  a  short  distance  southwest  of  the  Agricultural 
building.  Here  the  printing  of  Government  bonds,  greenbacks,  national 
bank  notes,  internal  revenue  stamps,  etc.,  etc.,  is  done.  No  place  in  Washing- 
ton is  more  attractive  to  visitors.  The  building  is  very  handsome  in  itself, 
and  with  its  wonderful  machinery  and  hundreds  of  employes  rates  second  to 
none  in  interest. 

The  Washington  Monument  is  but  a  short  distance  south  of  this  building. 
It  is  undoubtedly  the  loftiest  artificial  structure  in  the  world. 

The  Census  Office,  having  finished  its  work,  is  in  a  few  rooms  over  the 
Second  National  Bank,  Seventh  Street,  opposite  the  Post-Office  Department. 

The  Smithsonian  Institution  is  located  just  east  of  the  Agricultural  Bureau. 
It  is  of  a  red  stone,  and  with  its  towers  and  gables  of  the  twelfth  century, 
Norman  style  of  ar- 
chitecture, makes  a 
very  pleasing  im- 
pression. An  im- 
mense volume  would 
be  required  to  cata- 
logue the  curiosities 
to  be  found  here. 
Adjoining  it  on  the 
east  is  the  still  more 
interesting  National 
Museum  building, 
which  is  also  crowded 
with  curios  from  all 
parts  of  the  world. 
It  was  in  this  build- 
ing, then  incomplete,  ^HE  BUREAU  OF  ENGRAVING  AND  PRINTING. 

that  the  Garfield  Inaugural  Ball  was  held  in  1881. 

THE   GOVERNMENT   PRINTING-OFFICE. 

This  is  said  to  be  the  largest  and  best  equipped  printing-office  in  the  world 
It  is  situated  at  the  corner  of  "  H  "  and  North  Capitol  Streets,  and  cov'( 
more  than  two-thirds  of  a  square  of  ground.    It  is  in  a  building  300  feet  by  175, 
has  a  complete  equipment,  and  manufactures  about  1,000,000  volumes  annually. 

The  Navy  Yard  covers  about  27  acres,  and  though  not  much  used  for  the 
construction  of  vessels,  is  of  great  importance  in  manufacturing  and  storing 
supplies.  Besides  the  public  buildings  already  erected,  others  in  different 
parts  of  the  city  are  rented  for  the  Department  of  Justice,  Pension  Office, 
Commissary  Bureau,  and  other  branches  of  service. 


30    PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN   PROGRESS. 

VARIOUS   INSTITUTIONS. 

The  Columbia  Institute  for  the  Deaf  and  Dumb,  at  Kendall  Green,  accom- 
modates lOO  pupils  in  beautiful  buildings,  surrounded  with  lOO  acres;  the  Hos- 
pital for  the  Insane  has  a  commodious  building  in  the  midst  of  400  acres,  and 
shelters 600  patients;  Providence  Hospital  has  200  inmates ;  the  Louise  Home 
is  a  beautiful  building,  on  the  finest  avenue  of  the  city,  erected  and  endowed 
by  Mr.  Corcoran  as  a  memorial  of  his  daughter  and  a  home  for  gentle- 
women who   have  become   poor.      The   Columbia  Woman's   Hospital,   the 

Washington  Orphan 


Asylum,  Soldiers* 
and  Sailors'  Orph- 
ans' Home,  St. 
Joseph's  and  St.  Vin- 
cent's  Orphan  Asy- 
lums, St.  John's  Hos- 
pital for  Children, 
the  Frecdmen's  Hos- 
pital, and  the  Home 
for  the  Aged,  under 
the  care  of  *'  The 
Little  Sisters  of  the 
Poor,"  are  among 
the  charitable  insti- 
tutions with  which 
the  city  abounds. 
Among    its     inslitu- 


ARLINGTON,    HOME    OF    ROBERT    E.    LEE 


tions  of  learning  are  Columbian  University,  Gonzaga  College,  under  Jesuit 
instruction,  and  Howard  University,  for  colored  youth,  under  Congregational 
and  Presbyterian  supervision. 

THE   ARMY   MEDICAL  MUSEUM 

Contains  10,000  MS.  volumes  of  hospital  reports  and  a  large  assemblage  of 
specimens  representing  the  effects  of  wounds,  diseases,  and  surgical  operations. 
The  microscopic  section  is  admirable ;  and  the  models  of  barracks,  hospitals, 
ambulances,  and  surgical  instruments,  are  not  equaled  in  any  similar  collec- 
tion.    The  medical  library  contains  about  40,000  volumes. 

The  great  interests  centering  in  the  legislation  for  over  55,000,000  of 
people,  bring  to  the  city  multitudes  of  people  of  everj'  class  and  for  various 
objects  ;  and  its  pleasant  winter  climate  makes  it  attractive  to  persons  of  wealth 
and  leisure  from  all  parts  of  the  country,  and  to  visitors  from  other  lands. 
The  fashionable  season  begins  with  the  meeting  of  Congress  in  December. 
From  Christmas  to  Lent,  receptions,  balls,  and  dinners  abound  ;  the  levees  of 
the  President,  members  of  the  Cabinet,  and  Speaker  of  the  House,  are  open 
to  all  vomers ;  the  President  receives  the  calls  of  the  public,  and  on  Jan.  ist 


OGRESS. 


CITY  OF  WASHINGTON. 


31 


I  Green,  accom- 
icres ;  the  Hos- 

400  acres,  and 
:  Louise  Home 
1  and  endowed 
me  for  gentle- 
Hospital,  the 
ngton  Orphan 
u  m,  Soldiers* 
Sailors'    Orph- 

H  o  m  e,    St. 
I's  and  St.  Vin- 

Orphan  Asy- 
3t.  John's  Hos- 

for  Children, 
eedmen's  Hos- 
md  the  Home 
e  Aged,  under 
are    of    "  The 

Sisters  of  the 

are     among 

laritabic    insli- 

with    which 

ty      abounds. 

:    its     inslitu- 
under  Jesuit 

Congregational 


assemblage  of 
:al  operations, 
cks,  hospitals, 
similar  collec- 

55,ooo,ocx)  of 
id  for  various 
ions  of  wealth 
other  lands, 
n  December, 
the  levees  of 
use,  are  open 
d  on  Jan.  ist 


his  reception  is  attended  by  foreign  ministers  in  official  costume,  officers  of 
the  Army  and  Navy  in  uniform,  officers  of  the  Government,  members  of  Con- 
gress, and  citizens  generally. 

The  Pension  Office  is  at  present  located  in  the  Shepherd  Building,  at 
the  corner  of  Twelfth  Street  and  Pennsylvania  Avenue. 

In  the  long  summer  evenings  it  is  the  almost  universal  custom  in  Washinr^- 
ton  to  drive  out  after  dinner  to  the  Soldiers'  Home,  where  there  are  tweiit)- 
miles  of  the  finest  roadways  in  the  world,  in  the  noble  public  park  belonging 
to  this  institution,  and  is  well  deserving  a  visit.  In  the  winter  the  bright, 
bracing  afternoons  offer  the  most  favorable  opportunities  for  this  purpose. 

The  Soldiers'  Home,  a  national  institution  for  invalid  soldiers,  was  estab- 
lished  in    185 1.     It  

has  since  been 
greatly  enlarged,  and 
is  maintained  with  a 
fund  accumulated 
by  retaining  12^ 
cents  a  month  from 
the  pay  of  each  pri- 
vate soldier.  The 
buildings  are  hand- 
some, and  the 
grounds  adorned 
with  meadows, 
groves,  and  lakes, 
rhe  Naval  Hospital 
supplies  a  similar 
home  for  sick  and 
disabled   seamen   of 

the  Navy.  The  buildings  of  the  Home  are  for  the  most  part  of  Ohio  or  other 
white  sandstone,  and  while  they  are  picturesque,  afford  most  comfortable  homes 
for  the  old  veterans.  The  President  usually  occupies  one  of  these  cottages  for 
his  summer  residence. 

THE   DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE 

Occupies  a  building  of  brick  and  brown-stone,  in  the  renaissance  style,  170 
feet  by  61,  with  green-houses,  graperies,  and  experimental  grounds,  around  it, 
covering  10  acres.  The  business  of  the  Department  is  the  distribution  over 
the  country  of  seeds,  plants,  and  general  agricultural  information. 

THE   UNITED   STATES   NAVAL   OBSERVATORY. 
The  United  States  Naval  Observatory  is  on  the  Potomac,  between  Wash- 
ington and  Georgetown.     The  grounds  attached  to  it  are  19  acres  in  extent. 
From  the  flagstaff  on  the  dome  of  the  principal  building  a  signal-ball  is  dropped 
daily  at  noon,  transmitting  by  telegraphic  connections  the  mean  time  to  all 


THE    SOLDIERS'   HOME 


•   \ 


I    I! 


I   I 


32     PICTUKESQUK   SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN  PROGRESS. 

parts  of  the  United  States.  Another  edifice  has  been  specially  adapted  to  the 
reception  and  employment  of  the  great  equatorial  telescope  made  by  Alv;in 
Clark,  and  mounted  in  1873.  It  has  an  object-glass  of  26  inches,  and  cost 
nearly  $5o,cxx). 

MOUNT   VERNON. 

The  Tomb  of  George  Washington  is  at  Mount  Vernon,  Washington's  old 
home,  seventeen  miles  down  the  beautiful  Potomac.  Every  day  except  Sun- 
day a  steamer  runs  to  Mount  Vernon  for  the  accommodation  of  tourists,  leav- 
ing the  city  at  nine  A.M.  and  returning  at  four  r.M. 

The  city  has  120  churches.  Some  of  the  public  halls  are  Lincoln,  Odd  Fel- 
lows', Willard's,  Tallmadge,  and  the  Masonic  Temple  ;  and  of  the  hotels,  Wil- 
lard's,  the  Arlington,  Ebbitt  House,  Riggs  House,  National,  and  Metropolitan 
are  widely  known.  Boarding-houses  greatly  abound.  The  number  of  Govern- 
ment officers  and 
clerks  is  about  7,000. 
During  the  Rebel- 
lion Washington 
was  the  centre  of 
vast  military  opera- 
tions. The  military 
works  were  service- 
able for  the  safety 
of  the  city  after  the 
disasters  of  1862, 
and  when  Early 
marched  on  the  city. 
Throughout  the  war 
Washington  was  a 
vast  d6pot  for  mili- 
tary supplies ;  long 
,    ..      .  trains  of  army  wag- 

ons were  almost  constantly  passing  through  its  streets  ;  immense  hospitals  for 
the  sick  and  wounded  were  erected,  and  many  churches,  public  institutions, 
and  the  Capitol  itself,  were  at  times  given  up  to  this  service. 

WILLARD'S   HOTEL. 

While  there  are  a  great  many  noble  buildings  and  historic  spots  in  Wash- 
ington which  have  the  highest  interest  to  the  visitor,  Willard's  Hotel  stands 
second  to  none  of  them,  historically  considered. 

It  was  in  the  very  early  days  of  the  Republic,  and  very  soon  after  the 
National  Government  had  become  fixed  in  its  new  quarters  on.  the  Potomac, 
that  the  first  humble  beginning  of  what  is  now  a  magnificent  and  luxurious 
structure,  was  made  on  a  spot  directly  adjoining  the  present  site  of  the  house. 

The  enterprise  of  that  early  day  located  with  wonderful  accuracy  the  point 
that  would  be  most  convenient  and   most  desirable  for  a   hotel.     Willard's 


MOUNT    VERNON. 


CITY   OF   WASHINGTON. 


33 


was  known  seventy-five  years  ago  as  the  "City"  Motel,  subsequently  it  was 
called  "  Williamson's,"  and  later  on  it  took  the  name  of  "  Fuller's,"  which  it 
kept  until  a  few  years  before  the  Civil  War,  when,  passing  into  the  hands  of 
the  Willards,  it  was  given  its  present  name. 

From  a  time  whereof  the  memory  of  even  the  oldest  inhabitant  of  the  city 
runneth  not  to  the  contrary,  our  Presidents  have  goi.j  from  the  suites  of 
rooms  on  the  second  floor  at  the  corner  of  Pennsylvania  Avenue  and  l<'our- 
tcenth  Street,  escorted  with  all  the  pomp  and  pageantry  which  have  grown 
up  around  the  ceremony,  to  the  east  front  of  the  noble  Capitol  building,  there 
to  assume  the  oath  of  their  high  ofifice  in  the  presence  of  waiting  thousands, 
and  to  deliver  their  inaugural  addresses  which  marked  out  the  policy  to  be 
pursued  by  the  new  administration. 

Of  the  vast  ar- 
mies which  ebbed 
and  flowed  through 
Washington  during 
the  late  war,  there 
arc  thousands  of  old 
sokliers  who  will  re- 
call with  delight  the 
hours  spent  within 
the  hospitable  doors 
of  Willard's.  The 
old  statesmen  who 
served  their  country 
in  the  halls  of  Con- 
gress or  the  Cabi- 
nets of  the  Presi- 
dents will  recall,  at  the  sound  of  the  name,  the  grave  and  patriotic  consulta- 
tions held  within  the  walls  of  the  famous  old  house — consultations  which  had 
for  their  object  ihe  happiness  of  millions  of  people,  the  welfare  of  the  great 
Republic. 

THE  CORCORAN   GALLERY  OF  ART. 
This  balding,  with  a  large  number  of  paintings  and  an  endowment  fund  of 
$900,000,  was  given  to  the  United  States  by  Mr.  W.  W.  Corcoran,  a  retired 
banker  of  great  wealth  resident  here.     Handsome  additions  of  works  of  art  are 
made  to  the  gallery  every  year,  and  it  is  well  worth  a  visit. 


WILLARDS    HOTEL. 


LAFAYETTE  SQUARE. 
Leaving  the  art  gallery  and  passing  east  this  lovely  park  is  reached  by  a 
walk  of  half  a  square.  In  the  centre  is  Clark  Mills'  celebrated  equestrian 
statue  of  General  Jackson.  The  public  parks  are  kept  in  admirable  order  by 
appropriations  made  by  Congress,  and  expended  under  the  direction  of  an  officer 
of  the  Army  Engineers  detailed  to  the  charge  of  public  buildings  and  grounds. 


I 


I 


!    ! 


ii 

liiDI  ! 


{ 


in 
ex 


Dr.  Purvis 


34    PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN   PROGRESS. 

There  is  an  aristocracy  among  the  colored  people  of  Washington  as 
well  as  among  the  white,  and  it  is  quite  as  exclusive.  The  caste  is  very 
strictly  marked,  and  it  is  as  difficult  for  a  camel  to  go  through  the  eye  of 
a  needle  as  for  a  member  of  the  class  denoted  as  "  trash "  to  gain  admis- 
sion to  the  circle  of  the  "quality."  The  focus  or  pole  around  which  the 
high-toned  colored  society  revolves  is  the  Fifteenth  Presbyterian  church, 
which  stands  in  an  aristocratic  section  of  the  city — McPherson  Square  — 
beside  the  residence  of  Associate  Justice  Blatchford,  of  the  Supreme  Court, 
and  within  a  stone's  throw  of  the  palace  Senator  Palmer,  of  Michigan,  has  just 
completed.  In  the  immediate  neighborhood  are  the  residences  of  Chief-Jus- 
tice Waite  ;  John  W.  Thompson,  the  richest  banker  of  Washington  ;  William 
E.  Chandler,  ex-Secretary  McCulloch,  and  the  historic  house  which  Con- 
gressman Hitt,  of  Illinois,  purchased  a  few  years  ago,  is  just  across  the  square. 

The  leading  men 
this  church  are 
-  Senator  Bruce  ; 
John  M. 
Langston,  late  Min- 
ister to  Hayti,  who 
has  recently  been 
elected  president  of 
a  colored  college  in 
Virginia ;  Professor 
Greener ;  the  Worm- 
leys,  who  are  pro- 
prietors of  the  most 
aristocratic  hotel 
here ;  George  Cook, 
the  Superintendent 
of  Colored  Schools  ;  John  F.  Cook,  the  Collector  of  Taxes  of  the  District,  and 
others  of  the  crime  de  la  crime.  The  pastor  of  this  church  is  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Grinke,  a  young  man  about  thirty-five,  who  was  graduated  at  Lincoln  Univer- 
sity with  the  valedictory  of  his  class,  and  studied  theology  at  Princeton. 
Frederick  Douglass  does  not  worship  here,  but  lives  in  a  suburban  village 
called  Uniontown,  and  belongs  to  the  Baptist  denomination.  Since  he  mar- 
ried a  white  woman  he  has  not  been  received  as  cordially  as  before  in  the 
aristocratic  circles  of  his  race,  who  thought  he  might  have  found  a  spouse 
of  his  own  color  in  better  taste.  Congressman  O'Hara,  of  South  Carolina,  is 
a  member  of  the  coterie,  but,  singularly  enough,  he  and  his  wife  are  Catholics, 
and  attend  St.  Augustine's  church. 

Mrs.  O'Hara  is  one' of  the  loveliest  ladies  in  Washington,  and  were  it  not 
for  the  slight  trace  of  negro  blood  in  her  veins,  she  would  be  a  leader  in  white 
society.  Like  Mrs.  Bruce,  who  is  also  beautiful,  she  is  a  highly  educated  and 
accomplished  oman,  speaks  French,  plays  Beethoven,  paints  plaques,  and  is 
up  in  art  and  literature  to  a  degree  that  would  make  some  of  her  white  sis- 


THE    PENSION    OFFICE. 


CITY  OF   WASHINGTON. 


35 


ters  blush  for  envy.  Both  Mrs.  Bruce  and  Mrs.  O'Hara  are  very  nearly  white, 
and  it  would  be  difficult  for  a  stranger  to  detect  their  relation  to  the  African 
race.  Mrs.  O'Hara  has  a  white  governess  for  her  children,  and  intends  that 
they  shall  be  as  accomplished  as  herself. 

These  people  have  their  own  society,  give  balls,  dinner  parties,  receptions, 
and  other  entertainments,  ind  pay  formal  visits  on  regular  reception  days,  just 
like   the   ladies   of   official 
life.     I  have  before  me  the 
en[:;raved  visiting   card   of 
a  colored  belle. 

At  a  "  high  tea,"  or  a 
ball  given  by  this  circle  of 
the  colored  aristocracy,  one 
can  find  quite  as  much  in- 
telligence, quite    as   much 
beauty,  and  quite  as  much 
siracc  of  manner  as  will  be 
gathered  at  any  of  the  swell 
receptions  of   white   folks. 
There  are  Cleopatras  and 
Hebcs  who   come   in   car- 
riages, and  when  they  throw 
off  their  opera  cloaks  dis- 
cl(   "    attractions    which 
woi.  J  make  many  a  white 
belle  envious.     Both   gen- 
tlemen  and   ladies   appear 
in   full   evening-dress,   and 
the  costumes  of  the  ladies 
are  duly  described    in  the 
Sunday  Bcc,  the  organ   of 
the     high-toned     colored 
residents  of    the    District. 
Now  and  then  there   is  a 
scandal,  but    I    think    the 
average  of  morality  is  quite 
as  high  among  the  colored 
people  as  among  the  whites. 


STATUES    AND    MONUMENTS. 


STATUES  AND   MONUMENTS. 

There  are  a  great  many  statues  of  distinguished  soldiers  and  statesmen 

scattered  over  the  city,  located  in  the  various  parks  and  squares.     Of  these 

i  may  be  enumerated  the  Thomas  equestrian  statue,  in  Thomas  circle,  at  the 

[junction  of  Fourteenth  Street  and  Vermont  Avenue  ;  Scott's  equestrian  statue 

in  Scott  circle,  at  the  junction  of  Sixteenth  Street  and  Massachusetts  Avenue ; 


!  r  I 


36    PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN   PROGRESS. 

McPherson's  equestrian  statue  in  McPherson  Square,  Fifteenth  and  "  K  " 
Streets  ;  Farragut's  statue  in  Farragut  Square,  Seventeenth  and  "  K  "  Streets ; 
Jackson's  equestrian  statue,  fronting  the  White  House ;  Rawlins'  equestrian 
statue,  New  York  Avenue,  between  Eighteenth  and  Nineteenth  Streets ; 
equestrian  statue  of  Washington  in  Georgetown  circle,  Pennsylvania  Avenue 
and  Twenty-third  Street ;  these  are  all  in  the  northwestern  part  of  the  city ; 
east  of  the  Capitol,  in  Stanton  Square,  at  the  intersection  of  Maryland  and 
Massachusetts  Avenues,  is  the  equestrian  statue  of  General  Nathaniel  Greene, 
of  Revolutionary  fame ;  and  in  Lincoln  Square,  due  east  of  the  Capitol  a  half 
a  mile  or  more,  is  the  bronze  group,  called  "  Emancipation,"  representing  Presi- 
dent Lincoln  striking  the  manacles  of  the  slave.  The  National  monument 
to  Washington  was  commenced  in  1848,  and  after  long  delay  is  now  com- 
pleted as  a  lofty  and  plain  obelisk,  70  feet  square  at  the  base  and  600  feet  high. 
The  population  in  1880  was  147,293,  and  in  1886  205,459.  The  yearly 
city  expenditures  average  $3,500,000,  the  cost  per  capita  being  $17.38.  The 
natural  situation  of  the  city  is  pleasant  and  salubrious.  It  is  one  of  the  hand- 
somest and  most  commodious  cities  in  the  world.  Its  great  prosperity  is  due 
to  the  presence  of  the  National  Government.  It  has  considf^rable  retail  trade, 
but  the  manufacturing  or  other  business  is  unimportant. 


FISHING    ON    THE     POTOMAC 


NEW  YORK  CITY, 

EW  YORK,  one  of  the  greatest  cities  of  modern  times, 
is  the  most  important  city  and  seaport  in  the  United 
States,  and  the  third  in  the  civilized  world.     If  to  thf 
population  of  New 
York   in    1886   we 
add  that  of  Brook- 
lyn,   Jersey    City, 
and  other  neighboring  com- 
munities, which  arc  practi- 
cally the  suburbs  of  New 
York,  we  find  within  a  ra- 
dius  of   twenty-five  miles 
from  the  City  Hall  a  com- 
pact population  of  nearly 
3,000,000,  which  is  the  real 
population    of    the    great 
city.      Its    wonderful    in- 
crease can  be  attributed  in  great  part  to 
(ts  admirable    situation.     The  water   in 
|he  outer  and  inner  bay  and  in  the  river 
Is  so  deep  that  great  ships  lie  close  to  the 
)iers.    The  navigation  of  the  harbor  is 
|eldom  impeded  by  ice,  even  when  the 
'hesapeake    and   others  are   frozen   up. 
The  canal  system  connects  it  not  only 
nth  Lake  Ontario  and  Lake  Erie,  but 
[Iso  with  the  Ohio   River,  which  gives 
an  outlet  to  the  Mississippi  and  the 
rulf  of  Mexico.     .Soon  after  the  open- 
ig  of  the  Erie  Canal  in  1825,  New  York, 
|hich   was    at   that   time    smaller   than 
[hiiadelphia,  began  to  make  tremendous 
|ridcs,  and  soon  was  far  in  advance  of 
|1  other  American  cities.     Its  facilities 
[)r  cheap  communication  with  the  Great 
^est  give  it  great  advantage  over  Bos- 
|>n  and  other  Eastern  coast  cities,  and 
^r  this  reason  they  can  never  rival  it. 
liladclphia  and   Baltimore   are    nearer 
ie  West,  but  are  at  a  considerable  dis-    BARTHOLDI  STATUE  —  "LIBERTY 
(nee  from  the  ocean,  and  when  their      enlightening  THE  WORLD." 


il 


•   !i 


I    ilill 


:     I  i 


SS 


38     PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN  PROGRESS. 

vessels  arrive  at  the  open  sea  they  am  left  behind  in  the  race  to  Europe,  as  they 
have  a  much  fu/ther  distance  to  go  than  vessels  lea  ing  New  York,  which  is  a 
great  loss  and  disadvantage  for  steamers,  not  only  in  time  and  expense,  but  in 
earning  capacity,  i^s  every  extra  ton  of  coal  carried  to  complete  the  voyage 
means  one  ton  of  freight  less,  as  it  reduces  the  carrying  capacity  for  freight  to 
just  that  extent.  It  is  true  the  coal  consumed  in  the  voyage  can  be  purchased 
cheaper  in  Baltimore  and  Philadelphia.  New  York's  imports  are  annually  about 
$320,0(X>,CXX) ;  domestic  exports  about  $300,000,000;  foreign  exports  about 
$13,000,000.  The  exports  would  probably  be  far  in  excess  of  the  imports  were 
it  not  for  the  fact  that  a  great  many  goods  from  the  West  and  South  are 
exported  by  way  of  New  Orleans,  while  most  of  the  valuable  articles  brought 
from  abroad  that  are  consumed  in  the  same  Statiss  come  in  by  way  of  New 
York.  During  the  last  year  the  exports  of  wheat  from  the  port  of  New  York 
were  16,000,000  bushels,  of  the  value  of  $15,000,000,  as  against  27,000,000 
bushels  of  wheat  at  $26,000,000  for  the  year  1884.  Indian  corn  was  shipped 
more  largely  in  1885  than  in  any  year  since  1880.  The  shipments  of  oats 
have  largely  increased.  The  quantity  of  flour  shipped  has  been  about  the 
same  as  in  1884,  but  the  price  has  been  lower.  There  has  been  a  slight  gain 
in  the  shipments  of  live  cattle. 

New  York  is  situated  on  the  east  side  of  the  mouth  of  the  Hudson  River, 
at  its  junction  with  the  East  River,  which  opens  into  Long  Island  Sound,  in 
the  State  of  New  York,  18  miles  from  the  ocean,  and  separated  from  the  main- 
land by  a  narrow  strait,  called  the  Harlem  River,  on  the  east,  and  on  the  west 
by  Spuyten  Duyvil  Creek.  This  forms  the  island  of  Manhattan.  The  ci^y 
also  includes  several  smaller  islands,  containing  the  fortifications  in  the  harbor 
and  the  public  institutions  in  the  East  River,  and  since  1874  a  considerable 
portion  of  the  mainland  north  of  Manhattan  Island.  Its  present  boundaries 
are  Yonkers  on  the  north,  the  Bronx  River  and  the  East  River  on  the  east, 
the  bay  on  the  south,  and  on  the  west  the  North  or  Hudson  River.  The 
city  now  extends  16  miles  north  from  the  Battery,  and  its  middle  part  is  4^ 
miles  wide,  and  its  total  area  is  41^  square  miles. 

September  9,  1609,  Henry  Hudson,  an  Englishman  in  the  employ  of  the 
Dutch  East  India  Company,  sailed  his  little  vessel  into  New  York  Bay, 
and  commenced  his  voyage  up  the  river  to  which  his  name  is  attached, 
which  he  explored  to  a  point  above  Hudson.  All  the  land  which  he  dis- 
covered was  claimed  by  the  Dutch,  and  named  New  Netherland,  and  in 
161 1  the  States-General  offered  special  privileges  to  any  company  open- 
ing and  encouraging  trade  with  the  natives  of  their  newly-acquired  pos- 
sessions. This  encouragement  procured  not  only  trading,  but  colonization. 
In  161 3  a  fort  was  built  on  Manhattan  Island,  but  the  settlement  about 
it  was  broken  up  by  the  English.  In  the  following  year  another  Dutch 
colony  established  itself  on  the  same  spot,  and  continued  in  possession. 
In  162 1  the  prospects  of  a  lucrative  commerce  with  America  had  induced 
certain  merchants  in  Holland  to  combine  in  the  organization  of  the  Dutch 
West  India  Company,  for  colonization  purposes,  and  two  yeare  later  this 


NEW  YORK  CITY. 


)pe,  as  they 

which  is  a 
ense,  but  in 

the  voyage 
)r  freight  to 
e  purchased 
lually  about 
;ports  about 
mports  were 
d  South  are 
cles  brought 

way  of  New 
oi  New  York 
5t  27,000,000 

was  shipped 
lents  of  oats 
en  about  the 
I  a  slight  gain 


39 


company  took  out  eighteen  families,  who  settled  at  Fort  Orange  (Albany), 
and  thirty  families,  who  made  a  settlement  on  Manhattan  Island,  which  they 
bought  for  $24,  and  founded  New  Amsterdam,  now  New  York.  This  was 
accomplished  by  Peter  Minnits,  the  Director-General,  who,  representing  the 
Dutch  West  India  Company,  came  here  to  take  charge  of  their  colonies.  He 
was  an  able  Governor. 

The  English  opposition  to  the  Dutch  colonization  schemes  was  persistent 
from  the  beginning,  and  fruitful  of  much  conflict.  The  English  claimed  the 
territory  north  of  Virginia  on  the  ground  of  the  anterior  discoveries  by  Cabot ; 
and  in  1664  a  charter  was  granted  by  Charles  II.  to  the  Duke  of  York,  which 
covered  all  the  lands  lying  between  the  Hudson  and  the  Delaware,  and  in- 
cluded New   Netherland,  as  well  as  lands  already  held  by  prior  grant,  by 


"^tr^m 


^  ■m^ 


\;^ 


« 


iM... 


'-->1»W-<« 


employ  of  the 
cw  York  Bay, 
ne  is  attached, 

which  he  dis- 
lerland,  and  in 
•ompany  open- 
y-acquired  pos- 
ut  colonization. 
:ttlement  about 

another  Dutch 
in   possession, 
ja  had  induced 
n  of  the  Dutch 

yea«  later  this 


SCENE   IN  NEW  YORK   BAY. 

Connecticut  Massachusetts,  and  New  Hampshire.  In  the  summer  of  the  year 
In  which  this  charter  was  given,  Colonel  Nicolls  was  sent  from  England  with 
^ufificient  force,  and  on  arriving  at  New  Amsterdam  demanded  the  surrender 
)f  the  Dutch  possessions.  The  demand  was  acceded  to  by  Governor  Stuy- 
tresant,  who  was  powerless  to  prevent  its  enforcement,  and  the  country  in 
Question  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  English  without  a  struggle.     The  name 

lew  York  was  now  given  both  to  the  settlement  on  Manhattan  Island  and  to 
|he  entire  province,  and  that  of  Albany  to    Fort  Orange.     A   subsequent 

ijcapture  by  the  Dutch  was  followed  by  a  speedy  restoration  to  the  English ; 

id  on  the  Duke  of  York  ascending  the  throne  of  England  under  the  title  of 
|ames  II.,  the  province  passed  into  the  possession  of  the  Crown. 

In  1696  the  first  Trinity  Church  was  built.     A  slave  market  was  estab- 

shed  in  171 1.     The  New  York  Gazette  was  established  in  1725  ;  this  was  the 


L>  ' 


I 


:\m  I 


<  III  HI 'I  I 
ii  ilii'i 


111  1  11 


iw 


NBW  YOBK  AND  BBOOKLTN  BBIIKIE. 


NEW  YORK  CITY. 


41 


first  newspaper  published  in  the  city.  About  1730  a  line  of  stages  was  estab. 
lished  between  New  York  and  Boston ;  they  occupied  two  weeks  in  making 
the  trip.  In  1750  the  first  theatre  in  the  city  was  opened.  In  1755  the  Stamp 
Act  created  great  excitement ;  the  Colonial  Congress  assembled  in  the  city, 
and  the  Stamp  Act  was  publicly  burned,  In  1765  the  Sons  of  Liberty  were 
organized.  The  statue  of  George  III.  was  destroyed  in  1770,  and  the  duty  on 
tea  was  resisted  in  the  same  year.  In  1774  a  ship  laden  with  tea  was  returned 
to  England  after  eighteen  chests  were  destroyed.  In  1776  the  city  was 
occupied  by  an  American  force,  but  the  battles  of  Long  Island  and  others 
in  the  immediate  vicinity  being  disastrous  to  our  arms,  Washington  and  his 
army  abandoned  it,  and  the  British  took  possession  of  the  city  and  held  it  for 
seven  years,  from  August  26,  1776,  to  November  23,  1783.  The  building  of 
the  present  City  Hall  was  commenced  in  1803,  and  finished  in  18 12.  Robert 
Fulton  made  his  first  steamboat  voyage  to  Albany  in  1807,  and  in  1812  began 
running  the  ferries  from  New  York  to  Brooklyn  by  steam.  In  the  same  year 
gas  was  introduced,  but  did  not  come  into  general  use  until  1825. 

The  Erie  Canal  was  begun  in  181 7  and  finished  in  1835.  The  efTect  of  this 
great  work  was  to  enrich  the  State,  while  opening  the  way  for  the  stream  of 
commerce  which  has  resulted  in  making  the  city  of  New  York  the  metropolis 
of  the  Western  Continent. 

In  1826  the  Hudson  &  Mohawk  Railroad  was  chartered — probably 
the  first  railroad  charter  granted  in  the  country.  This  road  was  com- 
menced in  1830,  and  the  New  York  &  Erie  in  1836.  The  gradual  absorp- 
tion of  the  various  New  York  lines  which  form  the  Hudson  River  Railroad, 
and  the  consolidation  of  the  New  York  Central  and  Hudson  River 
Railroads  into  one  powerful  four-track  trunk  line  connecting  the  metropolis 
with  the  West,  were  significant  events  in  the  development  of  the  city 
and  State. 

In  1832  an  epidemic  of  cholera  caused  the  death  of  nearly  4,000  persons, 
and  in  1834  about  1,000.  The  east  side  of  the  city  below  Wall  Street  was 
destroyed  by  fire  in  1835,  the  entire  loss  being  $18,000,000.  In  1837  a  financial 
panic  brought  failures  and  general  loss  to  the  entire  country.  The  Astor 
Place  riots  in  1,849,  ^^^  ^-^^  cholera  epidemic  of  that  year,  which  carried  off 
5,071  persops,  were  important  events.  The  first  city  railroad  was  built  in 
1852,  and  on  July  14,  1853,  the  Crystal  Palace  Industrial  Exhibition  was 
opened,  the  President  of  the  United  States  officiating.  A  second  financial 
panic  occurred  in  1857.  From  i860  to  1865  the  city  was  engaged  in  patriotic 
and  generous  service  in  behalf  of  the  Union,  threatened  by  the  secession  of  the 
Southern  States.  In  the  fall  of  1873  occurred  the  great  financial  panic  which 
began  with  the  failure  of  Jay  Cooke  &  Co.  During  several  years  at  this 
period  took  place  the  investigation  into  the  acts  of  the  so-called  "  Tweed 
Ring,"  by  which  the  city  had  been  plundered  of  many  millions  of  dollars. 
The  arrest,  trial,  and  punishment  of  most  of  the  offenders,  and  the  death  of 
Tweed  himself  in  prison,  was  a  lesson  that  seems  to  have  been  forgotten  by 
the  aldermen  that  granted  the  Broadway  Railroad  franchise  in  1884,  which  is 


Hmtimmm 


i) 


<;;i 


m 


GRAND  CENTRAL  DEPOT    SHOWING   ELEVATED   RAILROAD,   N  Y. 


NEW  YORK  CITY. 


43 


--^r^i^fsri^-^ 


now  being  investigated  by  the  Senate  Committee.  In  iS<S3-4  there  was  great 
depression  in  business,  which  at  one  time  ahnost  amounted  to  a  panic.  The 
election  in  the  fall  of  1884  which  placed  Grover  Cleveland  in  the  Presidency 
created  great  excitement  in  the  city,  and  caused  general  depression  in  trade, 
which,  after  the  inauguration,  speedily  revived. 

New  York  is  connected  with  Brooklyn  by  the  Brooklyn  Bridge,  also  by 
numerous  steam  ferries  ;  there  are  also  many  large  steam  ferry-boats  running 
to  Jersey  City  and  other  places.  Manhattan  Island  is  131/^  miles  long  and 
one  and  three-fifths  wide.  There  are  eighty-five  piers  or  wharves  on  the 
Hudson  River,  and 
seventy -five  on  the 
East  River.  At  the 
piers  on  both  sides  of 
each  river  is  accom- 
modated the  great  sail- 
ing commerce  of  the 
city.  A  ridge  runs 
through  the  centre  of 
the  city  like  a  back- 
bone ;  it  rises  at  Wash- 
ington Heights  to  238 
feet.  Avenues  100  feet 
wide  and  8  or  10  miles 
long,  mostly  in  straight 
lines,  are  crossed  at 
right  angles  by  streets 
from  50  to  ICXD  feet 
wide,  extending  from 
river  to  river.  There 
are  five  avenues  desig- 
nated respectively  A, 
B,  C,  D,  and  E.  The 
numbered  cross-streets 


are  designated  east  and 


....k«\k«ti'.']ki'b«>>fcai 


BROADWAY  AND  TRINITY   CHURCH. 


west  from  Fifth  Ave- 
nue.   There  are  also  13  numbered  avenues,  nearly  200  numbered  streets,  and 
about  400  named  streets,  avenues,  etc. 

New  York  is  built  of  brick,  brown  sandstone,  and  white  marble.  Among 
its  finest  edifices  are  the  City  Hall,  Custom-House,  County  Court-House, 
Post-Office,  Trinity  Church,  Grace  Church,  two  universities,  cathedral,  Acad- 
emy of  Music,  Metropolitan  Opera  House,  Casino,  Cooper  Institute,  the 
numerous  great  hotels,  and  many  other  fine  public  and  private  structures. 
Besides,  there  are  thirty-five  Roman  Catholic  schools,  and  colleges  and 
academies  of  the  religious  orders.  The  hospitals  and  institutions  of  charity 
are  on  a  liberal  scale ;  and  besides  legal  outdoor  relief,  the  poor  are  visited 


■  uiJMii^Uii 


i!|  '!' 


I'   MM     Ii 


i 


'*aO»- 


W 


N 


iviiiil'in"  in  ■iTi;:';,i"i'ii 


NEW  YORK  CITY. 


45 


and  cared  for  by  a  public  society,  with  agents  in  every  district.  Among 
the  charities  are  asylums  for  insane,  blind,  deaf  and  dumb,  magdalens, 
foundlings,  etc.  The  Astor  Free  Library,  founded  by  John  Jacob  Astor, 
has  150,000  carefully  selected  volumes;  the  Mercantile  Library,  150,000 
volumes,  with  a  large  reading-room  ;  Society  Library,  64,000  ;  Apprentices' 
Library,  50,000,  with  rich  museums  of  antiquities;  the  Cooper  Institute,  a 
present  to  the  city  by  Peter  Cooper,  has  a  free  reading-room,  picture-gallery, 
art-schools,  etc.  Annual  art  exhibitions  are  given  by  the  National  Academy 
of  Design,  Dusseldorf,  and  International  Galleries.  The  Academy  of  Music 
or  opera-house  has  seats  for  4,700  persons. 

Among  the  clubs  are  the  Army  and  Navy,  Knickerbocker,  Lotos,  Man- 
hattan, Century,  Down-Town,  Harmonic,  Merchants',  New  York,  Press,  Rac- 
quet, St.  Nicholas,  Union  League,  Union,  and  University. 


FIFTH  AVENUE  HOTEL. 

Central  Park  is  laid  out  in  the  finest  style  of  landscape  gardening,  and  is 
two  and  one-half  miles  long  by  three-fifths  of  a  mile  wide.  It  was  begun  in 
1858,  and  includes  between  Fifty-ninth  and  iioth  Streets  and  between  Fifth 
and  Eighth  Avenues,  and  contains  840  acres,  in  which  are  two  large  lakes.  It 
is  inferior  in  some  respects  to  older  parks,  especially  in  its  trees  as  compared 
with  old  park  forests.  Its  lawns  are  necessarily  limited  in  space,  yet  in  pro- 
portion to  the  space  which  it  covers  it  has  developed  many  beauties  and  much 
interest  for  the  public.  The  plans  for  its  laying  out  were  submitted  and 
executed  by  Frederick  Law  Olmstead  and  Calvert  Vaux.  Four  thousand 
men  were  engaged  on  the  work  in  1858.  The  ground  was  a  region  of  hills 
and  swampy  hollows,  containing  a  few  old  farms  and  mansions.  Within  five 
years  the  transformation  was  astonishing.  The  reservoirs  within  it  occupy 
142  acres.  In  addition  to  this  water  there  are  six  artificial  lakes,  containing 
42  acres;  the  lawns  cover  nearly  no  acres.     It  contains  nearly  10  miles  of 


n 


NEW   YORK   CITY. 


Af 


.^:-^ 


Hiv 

Ij^^^l 

ill 

^^Hl 

^^^H 

Mi  % 

^^^H 

1 WV  w 

^^^^H 

W    lA 

^^^^H 

^^^1    >*. 

'       \ 

^^^^^H 

^ 

^H  H 

w              "' 

^^H    / 

'■HE  ■' vvA 

^^^^B 

^^H    '-': 

I  , 


V, 


»M 


ill 


::;    » 


carriage  roads,  28  miles  of  walks,  and  nearly  6  miles  devoted  to  equestrians; 
there  arc  in  all  46  bridges.     The  visitors  to  the  park  often  number  100,000 

a  day. 

Riverside  Park,  which  is  now  famous  as  General  Grant's  last  resting-place, 
is  situated  above  Central  Park,  on  the  cast  bank  of  the  Hudson  River.  It  is  a 
long,  narrow  strip  of  land,  and  is  visited  by  thousands  from  all  parts  of  the 
country.  The  tomb  can  be  seen  by  travelers  on  the  Hudson  River  boats,  as 
tlic  site  commands  a  fine  view  of  the  river.  The  accompanying  picture  of 
General  Grant  and  his  family  is  engraved  from  a  photograph  taken  at  Mount 
McGregor  a  short  time  before  his  death. 

The  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art  was  founded  in  1870  for  the  purpose  of 
encouraging  the  study  of 
the  fine  arts,  and  the  ap- 
plication of  the  principles 
of  art  to  manufactures  and 
to   practical   life,  and   for 
the  purpose  of  furnishing 
popular  instruction.     The 
building  was  erected  at  a 
cost  of  $500,000,  and  open- 
ed March  30*  1880,  by  the 
President   of   the   United 
States.     It    is   located   in 
Central  Park  at  Fifth  Ave- 
nue   and     Eighty-second 
Street.    It  is  218  feet  long 
and  95  broad,  and  contains 
numerous  articles  of  great 
beauty  and  interest.     It  is 
open  free  of  charge  to  the 
public    on     Wednesdays, 
Thursdays,    Fridays,    and 
Saturdays ;     50    cents    is 
charged   for   admission   on   Mondays   and    Tuesdays.     About   twenty   other 
smaller  public  parks  are  to  be  found  in  the  city.     The  Museum  of  Natural 
History  is  located  in  Central  Park  at  Eighty-first  Street  and  Eighth  Avenue; 
admission  free.    The  city  contains   numerous  art  galleries,  over  300  public 
schools,  and  about  400  churches.     The  Bartholdi  statue  is  on  Bedloe's  Island, 
a  short  distance  from  the  Battery,  which  is  at  the  foot  of  Broadway. 

The  Stock  Exchange  is  a  fine  white  marble  building,  located  in  Broad 
Street,  having  an  extension  to  Wall  Street  and  running  back  to  New  Street. 
Seats  in  the  Exchange  are  now  worth  $32,000.  None  but  members  are 
allowed  on  the  floor.  Ten  thousand  dollars  is  paid  to  the  heirs  of  every 
deceased  member  from  the  Gratuity  Fund  established  by  the  Exchange. 
The  government  of  the  city  is  vested  in  the  "  Mayor,  Aldermen,  and  com- 


THE  CUSTOM  HOUSE. 


48     PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN  PROGRESS. 


monalty  of  the  city  of  New  York."  The  legislative  power  is  vested  ip  a 
board  of  twenty-four  aldermen.  The  executive  power  is  vested  in  the  Mayor 
and  heads  of  departments  appointed  by  the  Mayor,  and  confirmed  by  the 
Board  of  Aldermen,  for  a  term  of  six  years  (except  in  special  cases).  The 
salary  of  the  Mayor  is  $12,0G0,  and  that  of  each  Alderman  $4,000  per  annum. 
The  Finance  Department  is  under  the  direction  of  the  Comptroller,  who 
receives  a  salary  of  $10,000  per  annum.  The  City  Chamberlain  receives  a 
salary  of  $30,000,  out  of  which  he  pays  all  the  expenses  of  his  office. 

Among  the  important  buildings  deserving  notice  is  St.  Patrick's  (Roman 
Catholic)  Cathedral,  occupying  the  block  on  Fifth  Avenue,  between  Fiftieth 
and  Fifty-first  Streets.  The  corner-stone  was  laid  on  August  15,  1858,  and  it 
was  dedicated  by  Cardinal  McCloskey,  May  25,  1879.  ^^^  architecture  is  of 
the  thirteenth  century  style,  the  ground  plan  being  in  the  form  of  a  Latin 
cross.  The  dimensions  are:  Interior  length,  306  feet;  breadth  of  nave  and 
choir,  96  feet,  with  the  chapels,  120  feet ;  length  of  transept,  140  feet ;  height, 
108  feet.  The  Fifth  Avenue  front  comprises  a  central  gable  156  feet  in 
height,  with  towers  and  spires,  each  330  feet  high.  The  building  is  of  white 
marble,  with  a  base-course  of  granite.  The  total  cost  was  about  $2,500,000. 
The  luilding  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  Fourth  Avenue  and 
Twenty-third  Street.,  was  erected  in  1869,  and  cost  $500,000.  It  is  French 
renaissance  in  style,  five  stories  high,  175  feet  front  and  86  feet  depth. 

Castle  Garden  is  now  used  as  a  depot  for  emigrants,  for  which  purpose  it 
has  been  employed  since  1855.  It  is  situated  in  the  Battery  Park,  at  the 
extreme  southern  end  of  Manhattan  Island,  convenient  for  foreign  steamers 
and  shipping.  The  business  of  receiving,  caring  for,  and  shipping  to  their 
destination  the  many  thousands  of  immigrants  is  in  charge  of  seven  Commis- 
sioners of  Emigration.  During  the  year  ending  December  31,  1880,  372,880 
persons  arrived  at  this  port,  of  whom  320,607  passed  through  Castle  Garden. 
Their  destinations  were — Eastern  States,  63,368;  Western  States,  112,119; 
Southern  States,  6,497  ;  New  York  State,  137,561 ;  Canada,  1,627. 

New  York  has  thirteen  beautiful  cemeteries.  The  Health  Department  is 
under  the  direction  of  a  Board  of  Health,  which  has  charge  of  all  sanitary 
m^.tters  except  the  cleaning  of  streets.  The  expense  of  the  Fire  Department, 
which  is  very  efficient,  is  about  $1,500,000  annuall3^  The  Building  Depart- 
ment supervises  the  erection  of  new  buildings  and  additions  to  old  structures 
within  the  city  limits. 

New  York  has  a  great  network  of  city  (horse)  railroads.  The  elevated 
railroads  are  all  in  the  hands  of  one  company.  The  Police  Department  is 
fyoverned  by  a  Board  of  four  Commissioners,  who  receive  $6,000  a  year  each, 
excepting  the  President  of  the  Board,  who  is  selected  by  themselves  from 
themselves,  who  receives  $8,coo.  Patrolmen  receive  $1,000  a  year;  rounds- 
men, $1,200  ;■  sergeants,  $1,500,  and  captains,  $2,000.  The  city  has  a  large 
number  of  public  markets  under  the  general  direction  of  a  superintendent. 
Besides  the  General  Post-Office,  there  are  19  sub-stations  and  over  1,000  lamp- 
post boxes,  from  which  collections  are  made  seven  times  daily  (Sundays 


NEW  YORK  CITY. 


49 


excepted).  Each  police  court  has  connected  with  it  a  prison,  viz. :  The 
Tombs,  or  City  Prison,  in  Centre  Street ;  Essex  Market,  in  Essex  Street ; 
Jefferson  Market,  Sixth  Avenue  and  West  Tenth  Street;  Yorkville,  Fifty- 
seventh  Street;  Harlem,  125th  Street.  Ludlow  Street  Jail  is  used  for  pris- 
oners from  the  Federal  and  State  Courts. 

The  Croton  Aqueduct  brings  a  river  of  pure  soft  water  from  40  miles 
distance,  which  is  received  in  reservoirs  of  a  capacity  of  1,500,000,000  gallons, 
and  distributed  with  such  a  head  as  to  supply  public  fountains  of  60  and  80 
feet  jet,  and  the  upper  stories  of  mosc  buildings. 

New  York  is  the  great  centre  of  American  finance  and  commerce.  It  re- 
ceives 66  per  cent,  of  all  imports,  and  sends  out  50  per  cent,  of  all  exports. 
The  New  York  &  Harlem,  the  New  York,  New  Haven  &  Hartford,  and  the  New 
York  Central  & 
Hudson  River 
Railroads  ter- 
minate at  the 
Grand  Central 
Depot  at  Forty- 
second  Street, 
while  many 
railroads  termi- 
nate at  Jersey 
City,  the  pas- 
sengers being 
carried  across 
the  Hudson 
River  on  the 
companies' 
large  and  com- 
modious ferry- 
boats. It  is 
understood  the 

Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad  have  completed  arrangements  to  make  Staten 
Island  the  terminus  of  their  great  system,  and  to  connect  with  New  York  by 
ferry-boats.  The  Long  Island  Railroad  terminates  at  Hunter's  Point,  L.  I., 
and  connects  with  the  city  by  ferry.  The  finest  passenger  steamboats  in  the 
world  pass  up  the  Hudson,  Long  Island  Sound,  and  down  the  Narrows, 
through  the  Lower  Bay. 

The  evening  schools  supply  instruction  to  about  20,000  children  and  others 
who  are  obliged  to  work  during  the  day.  The  College  of  the  City  of  New 
York  was  established  in  1847,  ^"^  until  1866  was  known  as  the  New  York 
Free  Academy.  It  is  open  only  to  pupils  from  the  public  schools  who  have 
been  in  attendance  at  least  one  year.  The  college  confers  the  degrees  of 
B.A.,  M.A.,  B.S.,  and  M.S.  The  buildings  are  on  Lexington  Avenue  and 
Twenty-third  Street,  and  valued  at  $150,000;  they  contain  9,  library,  natural 


THE  GRAND  CENTRAL  DEPOT. 


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50     PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN  PROGRESS. 

history  cabinet,  and  scientific  apparatus,  the  whole  valued  at  $75,000.  The 
annual  cost  of  maintaining  the  college  is  about  $150,000.  The  Normal  College 
for  Women  is  on  Sixty-ninth  Street,  between  Lexington  and  Fourth  Avenues. 
The  building  is  300  feet  long  and  125  feet  wide,  fronting  on  Fourth  Avenue; 
its  cost  was  $350,000.  There  is  also  a  model  or  training  school  for  practice. 
Its  object  is  to  prepare  teachers  fo/  the  common  schools.  The  cost  of  main- 
taining this  institution  is  about  $100,000  per  aunuiT^.  Other  institutions  of 
learning  are  Columbia  College,  the  University  of  the  City  of  New  York,  and 
the  medical,  law,  and  theological  schools  and  seminaries.  Columbia  College, 
originally  King's  College,  was  chartered  in  1754.  The  Corporation  of  Trinity 
Church  erected  the  first  college  building  on  the  church  lands  between  College 
Place  and  the  Hudson  River.  About  1850  the  old  buildings  were  surren- 
dered, and  the  college  removed  to  its  present  site  on  Madison  and  Fourth 
Avenues,  Forty-ninth  and  Fiftieth  Streets.  The  departments  are  the  Aca- 
demic, the  School  of  Mines,  and  the  Law  School.  The  University  of  the 
City  of  New  York  is  comprised  in  the  univers  ty  building  on  Washington 
Square,  and  the  Medical  College  building  on  East  Twenty-sixth  Street,  oppo- 
site Bellevuc  Hospital.  The  university  was  chartered  in  1830,  and  is  non- 
denominational.  Instruction  in  the  departments  of  the  arts  and  sciences  is 
given  free  of  charge. 

The  regular  medical  schools  or  colleges  are  Bellevue  Hospital  Medical 
College,  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons,  and  the  University  Medical 
College,  the  second  of  these  being  the  Medical  Department  of  Columbia 
College.  Bellevue  Hospital  Medical  College  is  located  within  the  hospital 
grounds,  at  the  foot  of  East  Twenty-sixth  Street.  It  was  founded  in  1801, 
and  is  under  the  control  of  the  Comnvssioners  of  Public  Charities  and  Cor- 
rections. Applicants  for  admission  must  be  eighteen  years  of  age.  The  course 
of  study  is  three  years.  The  fees  in  all  amount  to  $185.  The  college  ranks 
high,  and  has  about  500  students. 

The  Protestant  Episcopal  Theological  Seminary  is  situated  in  what  is 
known  as  Chelsea  Square,  between  Ninth  and  Tenth  Avenues  and  Twentieth 
and  Twenty-first  Streets.  It  was  founded  in  18 19  and  chartered  in  1822.  The 
course  of  study  lasts  three  years.  The  Union  Theological  Seminary  is  on 
University  Place,  between  Waverley  and  Clinton  Places.  It  was  founded  in 
1836.  The  seminary  course  occupies  three  years,  and  the  library  has  35,000 
volumes. 

In  1700  there  were  only  800  dwelling-houses  on  Manhattan  Island,  and 
about  5,000  inhabitants.  In  1790  the  population  was  29,906,  and  the  city 
extended  as  far  north  as  the  lower  end  of  the  City  Hall  Park.  In  1805  the 
population  was  79,770;  in  1840,312,700;  in  1880,  1,206,577,  and  in  1886, 
1,338,000.  The  total  amount  allowed  for  city  expenditures  in  the  final  esti- 
mate for  the  year  1886  was  $35,736,320.59,  an  average  of  about  $28  for  every 
man,  woman,  and  child  of  the  city.  This  sum  is  enormous  when  compared 
with  the  expenditures  of  other  cities. 


CITY  OF  BROOKLYN. 


ROOKLYN  is  situated  at  the  west  end  of  Long  Island^ 
and  is  the  capital  of  Kings  County,  N.  Y.  There  are 
thirteen  lines  of  steam  ferries  plying  between  Brooklyn 
and  New  York,  and  the  annex  boats  connect  Jersey  City 
with  Fulton  Street,  Brooklyn,  every  twenty  minutes. 
The  "  Brooklyn  Bridge,"  which  crosses  the  East  River, 
and  connects  Brooklyn  with  New  York,  is  125  feet  above 
high  water;  its  total  length  is  5,989  feet,  or  about  a 
mile  and  a  quarter ;  it  is  85  feet  wide,  and  its  grand 
stone  piers  rise  278  feet  above  high  water ;  their  size  at  high-water 
line  is  140x59  feet.  The  Bridge  cost  $15,000,000,  and  is  a  marvel 
of  engineering  skill.  Occupying  comparatively  elevated  ground, 
Brooklyn  commands  a  complete  view  of  the  adjacent  waters  and 
their  shores.  It  is  governed  by  a  mayor  and  board  of  aldermen. 
Brooklyn  has  a  very  large  number  of  churches  (nearly  300  in  all), 
whence  it  is  often  called  the  "  City  of  Churches."  It  has  an  im- 
mense trade  in  grain,  the  warehouses  being  capable  of  holding  about 
12,000,000  bushels.  It  possesses  also  a  National  navy  yard,  which 
embraces  45  acres  of  land,  and  magnificent  docks,  including  a  wet- 
dock  for  the  largest  vessels,  the  most  extensive  in  the  Union.  Along  the 
entire  river  front  is  an  almost  unbroken  line  of  storehouses.  The  Atlantic 
Dock  warehouses  of  South  Brooklyn,  opposite  Governor's  Island,  cover  a 
space  of  20  acres,  and  inclose  a  basin  40  acres  in  area,  and  about  25,000  vessels, 
exclusive  of  canal  boats  and  lighters,  are  said  to  be  annually  unloaded  there. 
The  principal  articles  are  molasses,  sugar,  grain,  coffee,  oil,  hides,  and  wool.  The 
annual  storage  of  merchandise  in  Brooklyn  is  valued  at  nearly  $300,000,000. 
The  streets,  with  the  exception  of  Fulton  Street,  the  principal  thoroughfare, 
are  generally  straight,  have  a  width  of  from  60  to  100  feet,  and  cross  each 
other  at  right  angles.  The  large  number  of  persons  who  reside  in  Brooklyn 
iind  do  business  in  New  York,  has  caused  the  city  to  be  termed  "  the  bed- 
room of  New  York,"  the  larger  part  of  the  city  being  devoted  to  private 
dwelling  houses. 

Brooklyn  is  connected  with  other  parts  of  Long  Island  by  a  number  of 
railroads,  besides  lines  of  city  horse  railroads  in  every  direction  ;  an  elevated 
railroad  extends  from  Fulton  Ferry  to  East  New  York,  a  distance  of  5^  miles, 
and  connects  with  the  Bridge  cars.  Several  other  elevated  railroads  are  in 
j  course  of  construction.     The  city  is  well   supplied  with   pure  soft  water. 

(51) 


52    PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN  PROGRESS. 

Under  the  act  of  consolidation  the  city  comprises  Brooklyn,  Williamsburgh, 
Greenpoint,  Wallabout,  Bedford,  New  Brooklyn,  Bushwick,  Gowanus,  and 
South  Brooklyn,  embracing  an  area  of  16,000  acres,  or  25  square  miles.  The 
city  is  8  miles  long,  with  a  breadth  from  2  to  5  miles  ;  it  has  a  water-front  on 
the  East  River  and  Bay  of  New  York,  S}4  miles  in  length.  Along  the  shore, 
near  the  end  of  the  Island,  is  a  bluff,  which  is  called  the  "  Brooklyn  Heights," 
on  which  are  many  fine  residences.     A  large  portion  of  the  city  is  level. 

Williamsburgh,  now  called  Brooklyn,  E.  D.  (eastern  district),  contains  a 
large  number  of  manufacturing  establishments,  and  has  its  entire  water-front 
devoted  to  commercial  purposes.  Greenpoint  also  contains  large  ship-yards 
and  manufactories. 

South  Brooklyn  has  an  extensive  water-front,  and  contains  large  wood, 
coal,  stone,  and  lumber  yards,  numerous  planing-mills,  distilleries,  breweries, 
plaster-mills,  foundries,  and  machine-shops. 

Brooklyn  has  several  parks ;  one  of  the  finest  in  the  county  is  Prospect 
Park.  It  was  commenced  in  1866,  and  covers  550  acres,  including  the  Parade 
Ground.  The  site  is  one  full  of  natural  beauty,  and  on  which  some  of  the 
battles  of  the  Revolution  were  fought.  The  Park  has  a  fertile  soil,  magnifi- 
cent views,  fine  forest  trees,  and  a  large,  magnificent  lake.  It  has  a  nobler 
effect  in  sylvan  features  than  Central  Park.  Upon  the  Plaza  at  the  main 
entrance  is  a  bronze  statue  of  Abraham  Lincoln  and  a  beautiful  fountain. 
From  Lookout  Hill  can  be  seen  the  palatial  hotels  and  Atlantic  Ocean  at 
Coney  Island,  which  is  about  seven  miles  distant.  A  fine  wide  boulevard  lined 
with  shade  trees  extends  from  the  Park  to  the  Island,  on  which  are  numerous 
hostelries,  one  of  the  most  popular  being  the  "  Woodbine,"  where  "  English 
Pete  "  entertains  his  friends  by  his  wonderful  recollections  and  inventions. 
The  boulevard  is  under  the  supervision  of  the  Park  Commissioners ;  is  gener- 
ally in  fine  condition  and  well  patronized.  The  Park  has  1 1  miles  of  walks 
and  10  miles  of  roads  for  driving  and  riding. 

Among  tlie  cemeteries  which  are  widely  known  are  Greenwood,  Cypress 
Hills,  and  the  Evergreens. 

The  more  important  churches  are — St.  Ann's,  on  the  Heights,  which  is  a 
fine  Episcopal  church.  The  Church  of  the  Holy  Trinity  is  one  of  the  hand- 
somest churches  in  the  country.  St.  Paul's  has  a  front  of  75  feet,  and  a  depth 
of  145  feet.  The  Church  of  the  Pilgrims  is  built  of  gray  stone,  and  inserted 
in  the  main  tower  is  a  piece  of  the  Plymouth  Rock ;  its  pastor,  Dr.  R.  S. 
Storrs,  is  a  noted  pulpit  orator.  Plymouth  Church  has  accommodations  for 
seating  2,800  persons ;  Henry  Ward  Beecher  has  been  its  pastor  for  the  last 
forty  years,  and  the  desire  to  hear  him  preach  is  so  great  that  marty  pew- 
holders  give  up  their  seats  to  strangers  for  the  evening  service.  A  Roman 
Catholic  cathedral  is  in  process  of  erection  on  Lafayette  Avenue ;  it  will  be 
a  very  large  and  imposing  structure.  The  Tabernacle  is  on  Schermerhorn 
Street ;  the  interior  is  well  arranged  for  seating  a  large  audience ;  the  plan 
is  a  large  semicircle,  giving  the  speaker  command  of  the  entire  building ;  its 
pastor  is  the  well-known  Rev.  T.  De  Witt  Talmage. 


CITY  OF  BROOKLYN. 


53 


iwood,  Cypress 


There  are  nearly  200  private  schools  and  educational  institutions  in  Brooke 
lyn.  Among  the  principal  buildings  are  the  City  Hall,  the  Kings  County 
Court-house,  the  new  Hall  of  Records,  the  new  Post-office,  the  new  Brooklyn 
Orphan  Asylum,  the  College  of  St.  John  the  Baptist,  the  Art  building,  the 
Academy  of  Design,  and  the  Long  Island  Historical  Society.  The  Academy 
of  Music,  on  Montague  Street,  was  built  in  i860 ;  it  contains  seats  for  2,300 
persons.  Opposite  is  the  Brooklyn  Library ;  the  building  was  completed  in 
1867,  at  a  cost  of  $227,000.  The  Kings  County  Penitentiary  is  on  Nostrand 
Avenue.  The  four  principal  theatres  are  the  Park  Theatre,  on  Fulton  Street, 
opposite  the  City  Hall  Park ;  the  Brooklyn  Theatre,  corner  of  Johnson  and 
Washington  Steets,  on  the  site  of  one  which  was  destroyed  by  fire  December 
6,  1876,  causing  the  death  of  over  300  persons — the  new  structure  has  proper 
means  of  exit ;  the  Grand  Opera  House,  on  Elm  Place  ;  and  the  Criterion 
Theatre,  on  Fulton  Avenue  near  Grand  Avenue.  The  latter  was  completed 
in  the  fall  of  1885,  and  has  a  very  handsome  interior.  There  are  twenty- 
one  hospitals,  dispensaries,  and  infirmaries,  besides  numerous  other  benevo- 
lent institutions. 

The  first  settlement  of  Brooklyn  was  in  1636  ;  it  was  then  called  "  Breucke- 
len,"  at  which  time  a  few  Walloon  colonists  settled  on  the  spot  now  known  as 
the  Wallabout.  English  and  Dutch  settlers  followed.  In  1667  the  town 
received  a  charter  from  the  Governor ;  in  1666  the  first  church  was  erected  ; 
in  1698  the  population  was  509 — of  these,  65  were  slaves  ;  in  1776,  on  the  site 
of  the  present  city,  the  battle  of  Long  Island  was  fought,  and  its  neighbor- 
hood was  one  of  the  principal  seats  of  the  Revolutionary  War.  Brooklyn 
became  a  chartered  city  in  1834,  and  Williamsburgh  became  a  city  in  1851.  In 
1800  the  population  of  Brooklyn  was  3,298  ;  in  1830,  15,292  ;  in  1840,  36,233  ;  in 
1850, 96,838  ;  in  1 860,  after  its  consolidation  with  Williamsburgh,  the  population 
was  266,661  ;  iii  1870  it  was  396,099  ;  in  1880,  554,696 ;  and  in  1886,  650,000. 
The  yearly  expenditure  for  1884  was  $8,045,017,  being  $io.SS />er  capita. 


SHIP-BUILDING. 


JERSEY  CITY. 


ERSEY  CITY,  the  county  seat  of  Hudson  County,  is  situ- 
ated in  the  State  of  New  Jersey,  on  the  west  bank  of  the 
Hudson  River,  opposite  New  York,  of  which  it  is  in  fact, 
though  in  another  State,  an  extension.  Large  steam  ferry- 
boats connect  it  with  New  York  ;  they  are  lighted  with  gas, 
and  travel  day  and  night.  In  1802  it  contained  but  thirteen 
inhabitants  living  in  a  single  house.  In  1804  the  Legisla- 
ture of  the  State  granted  a  charter  to  the  "  Associates  of  the 
Jersey  Company,"  who  laid  out  the  place  in  streets  in  1820. 
It  was  incorporated  as  "  the  City  of  Jersey  ';  in  1838  the  name 
was  changed  to  "  Jersey  City."  It  is  now  about  5  miles  long 
and  3  miles  wide.  Its  principal  public  buildings  are  the  County 
Court-house,  the  City  Hall,  the  Jail,  and  the  Market ;  while 
the  business  portion  of  the  city  has  numerous  substantial 
business  structures,  yet  it  is  not  as  imposing  as  might  be  ex- 
pected from  its  population,  but  this  can  very  properly  be 
attributed  to  its  close  proximity  to  New  York.  The  city  has  many  hand- 
some residences,  many  fine  school  buildings  and  churches.  There  are  several 
small  public  squares ;  some  of  them  contain  fountains,  and  are  adorned  with 
trees.  The  Morris  Canal,  which  connects  the  Delaware  with  the  Hudson, 
terminates  here.  Numerous  lines  of  railway  approach  New  York  at  this  point ; 
among  the  principal  are  the  Pennsylvania,  the  Erie,  the  Northern  New  Jersey, 
the  New  Jersey  Midland,  the  Reading,  the  Central  of  New  Jersey,  and  the 
New  York  and  Midland.  The  work  of  constructing  a  tunnel  under  the  Hud- 
son between  the  two  cities  was  begun  about  six  years  ago. 

The  city  is  a  part  of  the  New  York  Customs  district,  and,  therefore,  not  a 
port  of  entry.  The  immense  quantities  of  coal  and  iron  brought  to  the  city 
by  the  calial  and  railroads  create  a  large  business.  The  city  has  large  manu- 
facturing interests,  including  extensive  glass  works,  the  United  States  Watch 
Manufactory,  steel  works,  crucible  works,  boiler  works,  zinc  works,  railroad 
repair  and  supply  shops,  locomotive  works,  machine  shops,  foundries,  sugar 
refineries,  breweries,  medals,  car  springs,  pottery,  chains  and  spikes,  planing- 
mills,  soap  and  candles,  articles  in  copper,  saleratus,  oils,  fireworks,  jewelry, 
drugs,  lead  pencils,  chemicals,  etc.  Large  numbers  of  animals  are  slaughtered 
in  the  northern  part  of  the  city  for  the  New  York  market.  The  city  is  sup- 
plied with  water  from  the  Passaic  River. 

Among  the  charitable  institutions  are  the  City  Hospital,  the  Home  for 
Aged  Women,  and  the  Children's  Home.    The  number  of  churches  is  60.    The 
population  in  1880  was  120,728,  and  in  1886,  i54,ocx).    The  appropriations  fori 
1886  were  $1,623,459. 
(54) 


CITY   OF   NEWARK. 


EWARK  is  a  city  and  port  of  entry  of  New  Jersey,  and 
capital  of  Essex  County.  It  is  situated  on  an  elevated 
plain  on  the  right  or  west  bank  of  the  Passaic  River, 
lo  miles  from  New  York  and  4  miles  from  Newark 
Bay.  Its  principal  street  is  over  2  miles  long,  120  feet 
wide,  shaded  by  great  elm  trees  and  bordering  on  three 
beautiful  parks.  The  population,  which  has  increased 
very  rapidly,  was,  in  1780,  1,000;  in  1870,  105,059;  in 
1880,  136,400;  and  in  1886,  155,000.  The  amount  appropri- 
ated for  expenditures  in  one  year  was  $1,742,912.  The  College 
of  New  Jersey  was  located  in  Newark  from  1747  to  1755 ;  the 
Newark  Academy  was  founded  in  1792.  The  town  was  sacked, 
plundered,  and  nearly  destroyed  by  the  British  in  1777.  New- 
ark is  a  very  beautiful  and  industrious  city,  and  contains  104 
churches,  an  academy,  high-school,  and  25  public  schools.  It 
has  many  fine  public  buildings,  among  which  are  the  City  Hall, 
Court-house,  Custom-house,  and  Post-oflfice.  Among  the  promi- 
nent societies  are  the  State  Historical  Society  and  the  Library 
Association.  Among  the  goods  manufactured  are  carriages,  india-rubber  goods, 
jewelry,  machinery,  leather,  paper,  patent  leather,  and  spool  thread  ;  there  are 
also  very  large  flour-mills,  in  fact  the  city  is  noted  for  its  varied  manufactures, 
numerous  industries,  and  large  life  and  fire  insurance  companies.  The  shipping 
interests  are  very  large,  the  docks  being  nearly  a  mile  and  a  half  in  length. 
The  total  capital  and  assets  belonging  to  the  financial  institutions  amount  to 
about  $100,000,000.  It  is  the  largest  city  in  the  State,  and  contains  nearly 
two  hundred  miles  of  streets  and  nearly  fifty  miles  of  sewers.  Great 
quantities  of  building  material  are  produced  from  the  brown-stone  quar- 
ries a  short  distance  from  Newark.  In  1682  Newark  was  famous  for 
the  manufacture  of  cider.  In  1665  the  colonies  of  Hartford  and  New 
Haven,  Conn.,  being  united  in  spite  of  the  opposition  of  the  people  of 
Branford,  the  latter  deserted  that  part  of  the  country  in  a  body,  headed  by 
their  pastor,  and  takinr^  with  them  their  families  and  household  goods.  They 
bought  the  land  on  which  Newark  now  stands,  from  the  Hackensack  Indians, 
for  ;{^I30,  12  blankets,  and  12  guns,  and  there  founded  their  city,  laying  it  out 
in  broad  streets.  No  one  was  permitted  to  hold  office,  to  vote,  or  was  a  free- 
man, who  did  not  have  membership  in  the  Congregational  Church.  About 
three  miles  from  Newark  is  the  beautiful  city  of  Orange,  with  a  population 
of  12,000.    One  of  the  numerous  horse  railroads  connects  the  two  cities. 

(55) 


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FACSIMILE  OP  LETTER  FROM  BENJAMIN  FRANKLIN  TO  JIR.  STRAHAN. 


CITY  OF  PHILADELPHIA. 


HILADELPHIA  is  the  chief  city  and  seaport  of  Penn- 
sylvania, and  the  second  as  to  population  and  import- 
ance in  the  United  States.  It  is  situated  on  a  plain  on 
the  west  bank  of  the  Delaware  River  (which  separates 
it  from  New  Jersey),  at  the  mouth  of  the  Schuylkill, 
which  since  1854,  the  time  of  the  extension  of  the 
boundaries 

of  the  city  to  those 

of  the  county,  flows 

through  the  city  and 

joins   the    Delaware. 

The  city  between  the 

two   rivers   is    about 

3  miles  wide,  and  its 

water  front    on    the 

Delaware  is  23  miles 

in  extent.  It  is  96 
miles  from  New  York,  135  from 
Washington,  and  96  from  the 
open  sea.  Its  extreme  length  is 
about  23  miles  north  and  south, 
and  averages  about  5|^  miles  wide 
east  and  west;  it  embraces  129 
square  miles.  The  city  as  founded 
and  planned  in  1682  by  William 
Penn  was  bounded  by  Vine  and 
Cedar  Streets  and  the  two  rivers. 
That  portion  which  lies  west  of 
the  Schuylkill  is  now  called  West 
Philadelphia.  Penn  stated  :  "  I 
took  charge  of  the  Province  of  Pennsylvania  for  the  Lord's  sake.  I  wanted 
to  afford  an  asylum  for  the  good  and  oppressed  of  every  nation,  and  to  frame  a 
government  which  might  be  an  example.  I  desired  to  show  men  as  good 
and  happy  as  they  could  be ;  and  I  had  kind  views  to  the  Indians."  With 
these  ends  in  view  he  selected  its  name.  The  Indian  name  of  its  original  site 
was  Coaquenaka.  In  1682  twenty-three  ships  arrived  containing  settlers,  who 
were  mostly  Friends. 


INDEPENDENCE  HALL. 


■      1 

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58     PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN  PROGRESS. 


SKETCH   OF  THE   NEW  SETTLEMENT. 

In  1684  the  new  settlement  numbered  over  300  houses  and  2,500  popu- 
lation. It  grew  rapidly  by  large  immigration  from  Germany  and  the  North 
of  Ireland.  Penn  returned  to  London,  but  revisited  the  city  in  1699,  at  which 
period  the  population  was  4,500.  The  city  was  incorporated  in  1701,  after 
which  Penn  took  his  final  departure.  In  1704,  at  the  time  of  the  war  of 
England  with  France  and  Spain,  the  Governor  of  the  Province  created  a 
militia.  This  was  very  obnoxious  to  the  Friends,  and  in  order  to  enlist  them 
in  its  favor  the  Governor  used  stratagem.  He  sent  a  messenger  from  New- 
castle on  the  Fair  Day  in  1706,  with  the  news  that  the  enemy's  ships  were  in 
the  river.  The  Governor,  with  drawn  sword  and  on  horseback,  urged  the 
people  to  arm  for  the  defence  of  the  city.  Great  excitement  prevailed ;  the 
people  hid  their  valuables  and  fled,  but  the  Quakers  were  not  disturbed,  and 
could  neither  be  frightened  nor  coaxed  to  take  an  interest  in  the  movement, 
when  the  fraud  was  finally  discovered.     The  Governor  was  displaced. 

In  1719  was  here  printed  the  first  American  newspaper,  the  Weekly  Mer- 
cury. The  Gazette  was  established  in  1728,  and  afterward  edited  by  Benjamin 
Franklin,  who,  by  the  publication  of  his  "  Plain  Truth,"  in  1747,  was  the  first 
to  rouse  a  military  spirit  of  enthusiasm  among  the  people,  which  culminated 
in  a  military  force  of  10,000  men.  In  1755  a  militia  bill  was  passed,  and 
Franklin  became  Colonel  of  the  City  Regiment.  Philadelphia  finally  became 
very  prominent  from  1765  to  1774  in  resisting  British  aggression.  At  Car- 
penters* Hall,  September  5,  1774,  was  held  the  first  Continental  Congress;  the 
second  was  held  in  the  State  House,  May  10,  1775.  It  was  here  that  Colonel 
George  Washington,  of  Virginia,  on  June  15,  1775,  was  appointed  General 
and  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  United  States  Army.  On  July  4th  the 
Declaration  of  Independence  was  adopted  in  the  State  House,  and  proclaimed 
July  8,  1776.  The  city  was  in  possession  of  the  British  from  September,  1777, 
to  June,  1778;  at  that  time  the  population  of  the  city  was  21,767.  The  battle 
of  Germantown,  of  Revolutionary  fame,  was  fought  October  4,  1777.  The 
city  expended  much  treasure  in  men  and  money  in  the  cause  of  the  Union. 
Except  the  period  of  the  British  occupation,  the  city  was  the  capital  of  Penn- 
sylvania until  1799,  and  the  Government  of  the  Union  was  conducted  here 
from  1790  to  1800.  It  was  the  first  city  of  America  until  surpassed  by  New 
York.  In  1812  the  city  was  visited  by  yellow  fever;  in  the  same  year  the 
steam  water-works  at  Fairmount  Park  were  commenced.  In  1832  the  Asiatic 
cholera  caused  nearly  1,000  deaths.  In  1837  specie  payment  was  suspended, 
and  the  failure  of  the  Bank  of  the  United  States  in  1839  caused  great  depres- 
sion, in  commerce.  Serious  riots  disturbed  the  city  at  different  times  from 
1834  to  1844.  The  Philadelphia,  Germantown  &  Norristown  Railroad  was 
completed  in  1832.  Gas  was  introduced  in  1836,  and  the  first  telegraph  lines 
were  established  in  1846.  The  great  Sanitary  Fair  held  in  Logan  Square  in 
the  same  year  netted  over  $1,000,000. 


CITY  OF    PHILADELPHIA. 


59 


THE  CENTENNIAL  EXHIBITION 


was  I'pened  in  Fairmount  Park,  May  lo,  1876^ 
100  years  after  the  Declaration  of  Independence, 
on  a  magnificent  scale,  covering  236  acres.  The 
cost  of  the  five  principal  buildings  was  $4,500,- 
000.  The  enclosure  contained  200  separate 
buildings.  The  main  building  covered  no  less 
than  20  acres,  and  the  roof  was  70  feet  high. 
It  was  1,876  feet  long,  464  feet  wide,  with  pro- 
jecting wings  in  the  centre  416  feet  long.  Space 
was  apportioned  as  follows,  in  square  feet :  Ar- 
gentine Republic,  2,861  ;  Austria-Hungary,  24,- 
727;  Belgium,  15,598;  Brazil,  6,899;  Canada, 
24,118;  Chili,  3,244;  China,  6,628  ;  France,  45,- 
460;  Germany,  29,629;  Great  Britain  and  Ire- 
land, 54, 155;  India  and  British  Colonies,  24,193; 
Hawaiian  Islands,  1,575;  ^taly,  8,943;  Japan, 
17,831;  Luxemburg,  247  ;  Mexico,  6,567 ;  Neth- 
erlands, 15,948;  Norway,  6,959;  Orange  Free 
State,  1,058;  Peru,  1,462;  Spain  and  Colonies, 
11,253;  Sweden,  17,799;  Switzerland,  6,693; 
Tunis,  2,015;  Turkey,  3,347;  United  States, 
1 36,684. 

This  gives  a  fair  idea  of  the  magnitude  of 
the  main  building.  Within  this  vast  space  the 
weilth,  power,  industries,  and  greatness  of  the 
nations  were  exhibited  to  millions  of  admiring 
visitors.  The  exhibition  was  opened  every  day, 
except  Sundays,  for  six  months ;  the  number  of 
admissions  was  nearly  10,000,000,  of  which 
nearly  8,000,000  paid  the  regular  fee  of  50 
cents,  and  nearly  1,000,000  paid  the  special 
rate  of  25  cents.  A  large  building  was  devoted 
to  the  progress  of  modern  education.  The 
Women's  Pavilion,  designed  to  receive  the  prod- 
acts  of  woman's  ingenuity,  co*^ered  an  acre  of 
ground.  The  Memorial  Hall,  or  Art  Building, 
remains  as  a  permanent  representative  of  the 
exhibition.  The  building  is  365  feet  long  by 
210  feet  wide,  and  59  feet  high.  It  is  made  of 
granite,  glass,  and  iron.  It  is  a  beautiful  struc- 
ture. Machinery  Hall  covered  13  acres,  and 
was  the  next  in  size  to  the  main  building.    The 


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6o    PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN   PROGRESS. 


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United  States  building  was  504  feet  by  300, 
and  the  operations  of  the  Government  service 
were  exhibited  in  this  great  building.  Horti- 
cultural Hall,  which  was  intended  to  be  per- 
manent, was  built  of  iron  and  glass,  by  the 
city  of  Philadelphia.  Its  size  is  383  feet  by 
193  feet,  and  72  feet  in  height,  and  covers 
820  by  540  feet  of  ground.  Several  nations 
had  pavilions  for  their  commissioners  and 
others.  There  were  26  buildings  represent- 
ing as  many  States.  Many  private  exhibitors 
and  companies  had  special  buildings  of  their 
own.  Among  them  were  the  Telegraph 
Building,  the  Transportation  Building,  the 
Bankers'  Building,  the  American  Kindergar- 
ten, the  Bible  Building,  and  others.  The  in- 
genuity of  man  was  supplemented  by  bees 
making  honey  in  the  midst  of  all  the  crowd. 

PLACES  OF  HISTORICAL  INTEREST. 

Among  the  places  of  historical  interest  in 
Philadelphia  arc — Carpenters'  Hall,  between 
Third  and  Fourth  Streets,  on  Chestnut 
Street  ;  the  legendary  treaty  ground  at 
Shackamaxon,  with  a  monument  marking  the 
site  of  the  elm  tree,  erected  in  1827 ;  the 
Germantown  battle-ground,  and  Fort  Miflin, 
on  the  site  of  the  mud  fort  on  the  west  bank 
of  the  Delaware ;  the  old  London  Coffee- 
House  on  the  southwest  corner  of  Front  and 
Market,  and  Independence  Hall,  or  the  old 
State  House,  on  Chestnut,  bctwi 
and  Sixth  Streets,  built  in  1 " 
in  this  building  that  the  s  (^nta 

Congress  adopted  the  Dci  ition  i  inde- 
pendence, and  where,  July  8,  1776,  the  famous 
Liberty  bell  fulfilled  the  great  m  ion  in- 
scribed on  it  in  the  words  of  the  Scriptures : 
"  Proclaim  liberty  throughout  all  the  land  to 
all  the  inhabitants  thereof"  (Lev.  xxv.  10). 
In  one  of  the  rooms  of  this  building  is  the 
National  Museum,  filled  with  relics  of  the 
Colonial  and  Revolutionary  history  of  our 
country.    In  the  adjoining  hall  Congress  met 


ss. 


CITY  OF    PHILADELPHIA. 


6i 


by  300, 

t  service 

Horti- 

be  per- 
,  by  the 
5  feet  by 
d  covers 
.  nations 
icrs  and 
epresent- 
xhibitors 
;  of  their 
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indergar- 

The  in- 

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EREST. 

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Coffee- 

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for  ten  years,  and  Washington,  Adams,  and  Jefferson  were  inaugurated.  At 
the  southwest  corner  of  Seventh  and  Market  is  the  house  in  which  Jefferson 
wrote  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  The  new  County  Court  House  and 
City  Hall  is  a  magnificent  structure,  probably  the  largest  and  finest  in  the 
country.  It  is  situated  at  the  intersection  of  Broad  and  Market  Streets.  It 
covers  nearly  41^  acres,  exclusive  of  the  court-yard.  The  new  United  States 
Post-OfTice  is  one  of  the  finest  in  America,  and  is  located  on  Chestnut,  Ninth, 
and  Market  Streets.  The  Custom- House  and  Mint  are  among  the  prominent 
buildings  of  the  city.  The  Masonic  Temple,  at  the  corner  of  Broad  and 
Filbert  Streets,  is  said  to  be  the  finest  Masonic  structure  in  the  world.  It 
cost  $1,300,000,  and  is  in  the  Norman  style.  The  Government  arsenals.  Navy 
Yard,  Naval  Asylum,  and  Naval  Hospital  are  situated  at  Bridesburgh  and 
Gray's  Ferry  Road. 

PARKS,  PLACES  OF  INTEREST,  AND   PUBLIC  BUILDINGS. 

Fairmount  Park  is  nearly  1 1  miles  long  and  2  miles  wide,  and  is  one  of 
the  finest  parks  in  America,  covering  2,740  acres.  Its  fine  old  trees,  broad 
expanses  of  turf,  varied 
surface,  and  great  ex- 
tent, with  the  Schuyl- 
kill River  flowing  by 
its  side,  and  the  Wis- 
sahickon,  flowing 
through  a  picturesque 
rocky  valley  clothed 
with  the  trees,  shrubs, 
and  wild  vines  of  vir- 
gin nature,  through 
dark  dells,  broken  by 
numerous  waterfalls, 
give  it  a  different 
character  from  that  of 
other  parks. 

Philadelphia  has  a 
number  of  public 
squares,  five  of  which  were  laid  out  when  the  city  was  founded.  Among  the 
daily  papers  published  in  Philadelphia  twelve  have  an  aggregate  circulation  of 
350,000,  and  the  weeklies  have  a  still  larger  circulation.  The  city  contains 
over  2,000  public  schools ;  evening  schools  are  conducted  during  the  autumn 
and  winter  months.  The  Girard  College  is  one  of  the  finest  architectural 
buildings  in  the  country.  The  University  of  Pennsylvania  is  the  outgrowth 
of  the  College  of  Philadelphia,  founded  through  the  influence  of  Dr.  Benjamin 
Franklin  and  others.  There  are  many  other  fine  colleges  in  Philadelphia, 
including  two  dental  colleges ;  also,  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences,  which 


carpenters'  hall. 


1'. 


62     PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN  PROGRESS. 

is  strictly  scientific,  and  has  a  library  of  30,000  volumes  and  fine  collections. 
There  is  also  the  Wagner  Institute  and  Franklin  Institute.  The  American 
Philosophical  Society  was  founded  in  1763.  There  are  many  theological 
colleges.  The  Byzantine  Order  has  a  superb  structure  on  the  west  side  of 
Broad  Street  devoted  to  art.  It  contains  a  copious  collection  of  sculptures 
and  paintings.  It  was  organized  in  1803,  and  is  the  oldest  academy  of  art  in  the 
country.  There  is  also  a  School  of  Design  for  Women,  conducted  on  a  liberal 
scale,  and  founded  in  1850.  There  are  numerous  libraries  in  Philadelphia,  the 
Apprentices'  being  free.  The  Historical  Library  of  Pennsylvania  is  very  large 
and  valuable.  The  city  has  numerous  charitable  institutions  of  every  kind, 
including  24  hospitals,  12  dispensaries,  20  asylums,  and  homes  of  various 
kinds.  The  Bank  of  North  America  is  the  oldest  in  the  country.  Many  of 
the  bank  buildings  have  great  architectural  beauty  and  merit.  On  Chestnut 
Street  are  located  some  of  the  best  hotels,  the  Times,  Ledger  building,  many 
fine  business  structures,  the  Mint,  and  several  handsome  churches.  On  this 
street  is  conducted  the  finest  retail  trade  of  the  city.  In  the  magnificence  of 
its  public  and  private  buildings  Philadelphia  is  second  only  to  New  York  and 
Washington. 

FINANCIAL   INSTITUTIONS— MANUFACTURES— COMMERCE. 

The  great  financial  centre  is  in  the  neighborhood  of  Third  Street,  the 
latter  being  considered  the  Wall  Street  of  Philadelphia.  It  is  situated  in  the 
lower  portion  of  the  city.  In  this  section  can  be  found  the  great  banking  and 
insurance  companies,  the  courts,  and  the  Custom-House.  The  city  is  famous 
for  its  building  and  loan  associations,  of  which  there  are  about  seven  hundred, 
mostly  composed  of  trades  people.  Philadelphia  leads  every  other  City  in  the 
Union  in  the  number  of  its  manufacturing  establishments,  also  in  the  number 
of  persons  employed,  in  the  amount  of  capital  invested,  the  value  of  the 
material  used,  and  the  variety  of  articles  manufactured.  It  is  second  to  New 
York  only  in  the  value  of  the  products.  The  banks  of  the  river  are  devoted 
to  commerce,  and  manufacturing  establishments  are  to  be  found  in  all  direc- 
tions. Nearly  10,000  manufacturing  establishments  give  employment  to  about 
220,000  hands;  the  capital  invested  in  these  establishments  amounts  to  over 
$250,000,000;  they  produce  about  $500,000,000  annually.  The  commerce  of 
the  city  is  of  comparatively  recent  growth,  and  is  of  great  importance.  In 
1880  the  imports  amounted  to  $38,933,832,  and  exports,  $50,685,838;  the 
exports  included  provisions,  breadstuffs,  tallow,  petroleum,  naphtha,  tobacco, 
and  benzine.  The  duties  received  in  1880  were  $12,726,376.80,  In  the  same 
year  16,886  male  immigrants  arrived,  and  13,078  females.  The  coal  trade  of 
the  city  is  simply  enormous,  vast  quantities  being  brought  here  for  shipment. 
The  lumber  trade  is  very  extensive,  the  supplies  coming  from  the  northern 
part  of  the  State,  Virginia,  and  North  and  South  Carolina.  Philadelphia  is 
one  of  the  four  great  centres  of  the  book  trade ;  the  others  being  New  York, 
Boston,  and  Chicago.  Publishing  is  conducted  on  a  very  extensive  scale.  It 
rivals  any  city  in  the  Union  in  the  manufacture  of  Family  Bibles.     The 


!(■  ill 


CITY  OF   PHILADELPHIA. 


63 


"i 


oysters  of  the  Chesapeake  and  of  the  New  Jersey  coast  form  an  important 
branch  of  trade.  An  extensive  trade  is  done  in  Florida  oranges,  which  are 
shipped  in  vast  quantities  to  Philadelphia  every  year.  It  is  also  one  of  the 
principal  markets  for  peaches  and  other  fruit.  The  manufacturing  facilities  of 
the  city  are  very  extensive.  Among  these  may  be  mentioned  the  coal  and 
iron  fields  in  close  proximity,  and  the  great  water-power  which  abounds  in  the 
vicinity.  The  textile  industries  employ  75,000  persons,  and  produce  about 
$90,000,000,  distributed  as  follows :  Carpets,  $19,000,000 ;  hosiery,  $16,500,000 ; 
worsted  and  woolen  yarns,  $11,000,000;  silk  and  mixed  goods,  $6,000,000; 
cotton  goods,  $19,000,000;  woolen  and  mixed  fabrics,  $18,500,000.  The  iron 
and  steel  production  amounts  to  $30,000,000 ;  machinery,  $10,000,000;  sugar, 
$20,000,000;  building  materials,  $10,000,000.  Boots  and  shoes,  chemicals, 
hardware,  tools,  furniture,  gold  and  silverware  are  among  the  other  important 
industries.  The  Customs  district  includes  the  city  of  Camden,  N.  J.,  and  all 
the  shores  of  the  Delaware  in  Pennsylvania  and  tributaries.  There  are  man) 
regular  lines  of  steamers  to  Southern  and  various  coastwise  ports,  a  line  to 
Havana  and  New  Orleans,  a  line  to  Liverpool,  and  another  to  Antwerp. 

GROWTH  AND  GOVERNMENT  OF  THE  CITY. 

The  city  has  about  800  miles  of  paved  streets.  The  streets  intersect  at 
right  angles,  and  the  cross-streets,  running  east  and  west,  are  in  numerical 
order  from  the  Delaware  River,  commencing  with  Front,  First,  Second, 
Third,  etc.  In  numbering  the  houses  100  numbers  are  allotted  to  each  block. 
In  going  north  or  south  Market  Street  is  the  point  where  the  enumeration 
begins.  Iron  ship  building  is  carried  on  at  the  Delaware  and  at  Chester. 
The  city  is  exceedingly  healthy,  has  an  abundance  of  water  and  good  drain- 
age, and  its  growth  is  extraordinary.  Its  population  in  1683  was  500;  in 
1777,  23,734;  i"  ^800,  70,287;  in  1850,  300,365;  in  i860,  after  the  extension 
of  the  city,  508,034  ;  1870,  674,022 ;  1880,  846,980 ;  1886, 935,000.  The  annual 
city  expenditures  are  about  $15,000,000.  Philadelphia  contains  over  160,000 
dwelling-houses,  all  of  solid  material.  The  great  extent  of  territory  is  such 
that  the  necessity  of  tenement-houses  has  not  existed  as  in  other  cities ;  it  is 
therefore  pre-eminently  a  city  of  homes,  as  on  the  average  a  house  contains 
only  five  persons.  The  city  has  over  30  markets,  which  furnish  good  food  in 
great  abundance.  The  water-works  are  controlled  by  the  city,  and  the  supply 
is  obtained  from  the  Delaware  and  the  Schuylkill.  Philadelphia  contains  70 
public  fountains,  61  of  which  were  erected  by  the  Philadelphia  Fountain 
Society.  There  are  over  150  miles  of  sewers.  The  Fire  and  Police  Depart- 
ments are  very  efficient. 

The  municipal  government  consists  of  the  Mayor  and  Recorder,  a  Select 
and  Common  Council.  The  Mayor,  elected  for  three  years,  has  control  of  the 
police,  and  the  right  to  approve  or  veto  the  ordinances  of  the  City  Councils. 
The  Select  Council  consists  of  31  members,  representing  the  31  Wards,  elected 
by  the  people  for  three  years;  the  Common  Council  contains  nearly  100 
members,  each  representing  2,<X)0  tax-payers,  elected  for  two  years.    The 


f! 


'  1 


|i 


64     PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN  PROGRESS. 

management  of  the  city  is  controlled  by  councils,  and  the  different  depart- 
ments, trusts,  and  commissions.  The  Controller,  Treasurer,  Solicitor,  Collector 
of  Taxes,  and  Commissioners  are  elected  by  the  people.  Philadelphia  is  rep- 
resented in  the  State  Legislature  by  8  Senators  and  38  Assemblymen,  and  in 
Congress  by  5  members.  The  United  States  Circuit  and  District  Courts  for 
Eastern  Pennsylvania  and  terms  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Pennsylvania  are 
held  in  Philadelphia.  There  are  four  Common  Pleas  Courts,  Courts  of  Oyer 
and  Terminer,  and  of  Quarter  Sessions,  and  an  Orphans*  Court. 

RELIGIOUS   INSTITUTIONS. 

There  are  in  Philadelphia  about  650  religious  congregations.  The  church 
having  the  greatest  amount  of  historical  interest  is  probably  Christ  Church, 
which  occupies  the  site  of  a  frame  building,  erected  in  1695,  on  Second  Street, 
above  Market.  This,  after  many  enlargements,  finally  gave  place  to  the 
present  noble  structure,  a  portion  of  which  was  finished  in  1731,  and  the  whole 
finally  completed  in  1754.  Its  chime  of  bells,  which  were  cast  in  London,  was 
the  first  used  in  the  United  States.  Benjamin  Franklin,  Washington,  and 
Adams  worshipped  in  this  church,  and  it  was  there  that  John  Pcnn  was  buried. 
Some  of  the  communion  plate  still  in  use  was  presented  by  Queen  Anne.  In 
the  crypt  of  the  school-house  lie  the  remains  of  Robert  Morris  and  Bishop 
White  of  Revolutionary  fame.  In  the  burying-ground  belonging  to  the  church 
at  Fifth  and  Arch  Streets  lie  the  remains  of  Peyton  Randolph,  President  of 
the  first  Continental  Congress ;  Major-General  Charles  Lee,  Benjamin  Frank- 
lin, and  Deborah,  his  wife.  St.  Peter's  Church-yard  contains  the  remains  of 
Commodore  Stephen  Decatur.  David  Rittenhouse,  one  of  the  signers  of  the 
Declaration  of  Independence,  sleeps  in  the  church-yard  of  the  old  Pine  Street 
Presbyterian  Church.  Conspicuous  for  architectural  beauty  may  be  men- 
tioned the  Roman  Catholic  Cathedral  of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul,  Logan  Square : 
St.  Mark's  Protestant  Episcopil  Church,  Locust  Street ;  the  West  Arch  Street 
Presbyterian  Church ;  the  Beth-Eden  Baptist  Church,  Broad  Street ;  the  Arch 
Street  Methodist  Church,  and  the  Rodef  Sholem  Synagogue.  The  whole  num 
ber  of  cemeteries  and  burying-grounds  in  Philadelphia  is  45.  The  first  is 
Laurel  Hill,  picturesquely  beautiful.  The  oldest  church  in  the  city,  except 
Christ  Church,  is  the  Gloria  Dei,  dedicated  in  lyoo;  originally  connected  with 
the  Lutheran  Church  in  Sweden,  but  for  50  years  past  with  the  Protestant. 
Episcopal  Church. 

CLUBS— RAILROADS— BRIDGES,   ETC. 

There  are  thirteen  bridges  across  the  Schuylkill,  seven  of  which  are  built 
of  solid  material  and  six  of  wood.  The  Callowhill  Street  Bridge,  with  the 
approaches,  is  2,730  feet  long;  it  is  50  feet  above  tide-water,  and  is  a  work  of 
great  engineering  skill.  The  river  span  is  348  feet,  and  a  span  which  is  thrown' 
over  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  is  140  feet.  This  bridge  has  an  upper  and  a 
lower  passage-way,  the  upper  being  32  feet  higher  than  the  lower  one.  The 
South  Street  Bridge  is  2,419  feet  long.    The  handsomest  bridge  is  the  Girard, 


CITY  OF    PHILADELPHIA. 


65 


lepart- 
Uector 
is  rep- 
and  in 
irts  for 
nia  are 
£  Oyer 


church 
Church, 
Street, 
to  the 
e  whole 
Ion,  was 
on,  and 
J  buried, 
ine.     In 
Bishop 
2  church 
iident  of 
I  Frank- 
nains  of 
s  of  the 
le  Street 
je  men- 
Square  : 
Street 
le  Arch 
e  num 
first  is 
except 
ted  with 
otestant. 


ire  built 
with  the 
work  of 
thrown' 
T  and  a 
e.  The 
;  Girard, 


It  is  1,000  feet  long,  100  feet  wide,  and  has  five  spans;  it  cost  $1,404,445. 
Small  steamboats  run  on  the  Schuylkill,  and  seven  ferries  connect  the  city 
with  points  in  New  Jersey. 

Philadelphia  contains  five  armories.  Clubs  of  various  descriptions,  social 
and  sporting,  are  numerous.  Among  the  social  clubs  the  Philadelphia,  Union 
League,  and  Reform  Clubs  are  conspicuous.  The  Union  League  House  has 
the  finest  building :  it  is  in  the  French  renaissance  style.  Amusement  and 
recreation  have  a  superb  temple  in  the  American  Academy  of  Music,  Broad 
and  Locust  Streets,  elegantly  fitted  within,  with  a  seating  capacity  for  2,900. 
The  leading  theatres  are  the  Walnut,  Arch,  and  Chestnut.  The  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association  has  a  building  of  imposing  architecture  at  Fifteenth  and 
Chestnut  Streets. 

There  are  twenty  lines  of  horse-cars,  with  an  invested  capital  of  over 
$13,000,000.     The  principal  railroads  connecting  with  the  city  are  the  Penn 
sylvania,  the  Bound  Brook,  the  Philadelphia  &  Erie,  the  Reading  &  North 
Pennsylvania,  the  Philadelphia,  Wilmington  &  Baltimore. 

On  the  night  of  January  26,  1886,  the  St.  Cloud  and  London  Hotels  were 
destroyed  by  fire ;  the  guests  had  a  very  narrow  escape.  One  of  the  hand- 
somest business  bloclcs  on  Arch  Street  was  also  consumed,  the  total  loss 
amounting  to  over  $500000.  The  five-story  brick  building,  Nos.  715,  717  and 
719  Arch  Street,  was  discovered  to  be  on  fire  at  midnight.  The  fire  had 
evidently  been  burning  for  some  time.  The  flames  spread  to  No.  721  Arch 
Street,  and  the  heat  became  so  intense  that  the  firemen  found  difficulty  in 
reaching  the  building  with  streams  of  wat.r.  The  building  in  which  the  fire 
originated  is  one  of  the  handsomest  on  Arch  Street.  Shortly  after  2  A.M.  it 
was  evident  that  the  St.  Cloud  Hotel  was  doomed,  as  great  volumes  of  smoke 
came  pouring  through  the  fifth  floor  front  windows.  During  the  early  stages 
of  the  fire,  and  before  it  had  reached  the  hotel,  the  police  ran  through  the 
latter  building  to  awaken  the  guests  who  had  not  previously  been  alarmed. 
Some  of  them  were  too  sleepy  to  be  aroused,  and  the  officers  were  obliged  to 
break  in  a  few  of  the  doors  to  get  the  people  out.  There  was  a  great  scarcity 
of  water,  and  the  firemen  were  almost  helpless  in  consequence.  For  a  long 
time  only  one  stream  could  be  directed  upon  the  fire  from  the  front  of  the 
hotel,  and  it  seemed  as  though  it  was  practically  useless  to  attempt  to  stay 
the  ravages  of  the  flames.  By  3  A.M.  the  cornice  and  a  portion  of  the  top 
story  of  the  hotel  fell  into  Arch  Street.  At  3.45  A.M.  the  fire  was  undei 
control.  The  St.  Cloud  Hotel,  which  was  almost  entirely  destroyed,  was  one 
of  the  oldest  in  the  city.  It  was  opened  as  the  Ashland  House  about  1858. 
George  Mullin  leased  it  about  1871,  when  it  was  enlarged  and  remodelled. 
The  hotel  was  a  five-story  structure,  with  a  frontage  of  80  feet.  It  had  accom- 
modations for  350  guests,  and  was  filled  to  two-thirds  its  capacity.  The  pro- 
prietors said  they  valued  their  furniture  and  effects  at  $50,000,  which  was  fully 
covered  by  insurance.  The  London  Temperance  Hotel  adjoins  the  St.  Cloud 
on  the  east,  and  also  caught  fire.  The  guests  were  directed  to  leave  it,  and  all 
of  them  succeeded  in  saving  their  personal  property. 


t^ 


'1   i: 


I 


r  MtSpH 

■  ■fit. 


Ju;i': 


■|'i 


'll'l 
I 


1' 


ii 


.5* 


CITY  OF   BOSTON. 


OSTON  is  the  great  metropolis  of  New  England",  tlie 
capital  of  Massachusetts,  and  of  our  American  cities 
second  to  New  York  in  commerce.  It  is  44  miles  north- 
east of  Providence,  and  232  miles  from  New  York.  It 
is  situated  at  the  mouth  of  the  Charles  River,  on  the 
western  extremity  of  Massachusetts  Bay.  The  spot  was 
first  visited  by  Europeans  in  1621.  In  1625  William 
Blackstone,  an  English  clergyman,  settled  on  Beacon 
Hill.  In  1629  Charles  I.  granted  a  charter  constituting 
the  Governor  and  Company  of  the  Massachusetts  Bay  in  New 
England,"  and  twelve  men  of  extensive  fortune,  among  whom  were 
John  VVinthrop  and  Richard  Saltonstall,  entered  Boston  June  i/, 
1630.  The  city,  which  was  incorporated  in  1822,  now  contains 
nearly  400  miles  of  streets,  which  cost  over  $36,000,000.  There 
are  many  bridges  connecting  Boston  with  the  suburbs.  The  mill- 
dam,  which  cost  $700,000,  is  a  continuation  of  Beacon  Street,  and 
once  inclosed  600  acres  of  "  flats  "  which  were  covered  by  the  tide  ; 
these  have  since  been  filled'  in,  and  that  section  now  contains  some 
of  the  finest  dwellings  and  churches  in  Boston.  The  scenery  in  the 
suburbs  of  Boston  is 
very  beautiful,  and 
many  of  the  private 
residences  are  very 
elegant. 


PLACES  OF  HIS- 
TORICAL IN- 
TEREST. 

Among  the  build- 
ings remarkable  for 
their  historical  inter- 
est is  Christ  church, 
the  oldest  church  in 
the  city,  and  the  one 
from  the  steeple  of 
which,  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary War,  Paul  Re- 
vere's  signal  was  hung 
(66) 


PARK     STREET,    BOSTON, 


CITY  OF  BOSTON. 


67 


and",  tlie 
an  cities 
es  north- 
'ork.  It 
r,  on  the 
spot  was 

William 

Beacon 

istituting 

■  in  New 

10m  were 

June  17, 

contains 
D.  There 
The  mill- 
treet,  and 

the  tide ; 

.ins  some 
ery  in  the 


U-^ 


out;  by  Captain  John  Pulling,  merchant,  of  Boston.  The  Rev.  Mather  Byles, 
Jr.,  who  was  rector  of  this  church  during  the  Revolution,  left  town  on  account 
of  his  attachment  to  the  royal  cause.  The  old  South  church,  built  in  1730,  is 
one  of  the  most  famous  in  the  country.  In  this  building  Joseph  Warren 
delivered  his  memorable  oration  on  the  anniversary  of  the  "  Boston  Massacre," 
March  5,  1776.  Here  the  patriots  met  to  discuss  the  tax  on  tea.  In  1775  the 
building  was  "  desecrated  "  by  British  soldiers,  who  tore  out  its  galleries,  filled 
it  with  earth,  and  used  it  as  a  place  for  cavalry  drill.  The  most  famous,  per- 
haps, is  Faneuil  Hall,  well  known  as  the  "  Cradle  of  Liberty,"  from  the  fact 
that,  during  the  period  preceding  the  Revolution,  it  was  used  for  public  gath- 
erings at  which  the  patriotic  spirit  of  the  colonists  was  stirred  by  the  eloquence 
of  the  great  patriots.  Faneuil  Hall  was  built  in  1742,  destroyed  by  fire  in 
1 761,  and  rebuilt  in  1762.  Before  1822  all  town  meetings  were  held  in  this 
famous  hall. 

The  Common,  which  covers  48  acres,  contains  trees  over  200  years  old. 
Many  of  the  avenues  of 
the  city  contain  fine  old 
English  elms,  which  are 
not  surpassed  by  any  in 
the  United  States.  The 
Common  was  dedicated  to 
the  use  of  the  public  by 
the  founders  of  the  city. 
The  "  Public  Garden  "  is 
an  extension  of  the  Com- 
mon, containing  nearly  25 
acres,  separated  from  the 
Common  only  by  a  street. 
It  is  a  botanical  garden, 
containing  a  small  lake,  a  conservatory,  and  numerous  fine  statues.  The  city 
has  over  twenty  smaller  parks.  Commonwealth  Avenue  is  a  fine  boulevard, 
250  feet  wide  and  nearly  two  miles  long ;  in  the  centre  are  double  rows  of 
trees,  and  walks  through  grass-plots,  shrubbery,  flowers,  etc. 

The  city  has,  in  public  places,  statues  of  Charles  Sumner,  Josiah  Quincy,  Gov- 
ernor Winthrop,  Benjamin  Franklin,  Edward  Everett,  Horace  Mann,  Alexan- 
der Hamilton,  Daniel  Webster,  Columbus,  Washington,  Governor  Andrew, 
and  Samuel  Adams.  Besides  these,  there  is  in  Park  Square  a  group  represent- 
ing the  emancipation  of  slaves,  and  on  the  Common  another  to  the  memory 
of  the  National  soldiers  who  died  in  the  War  of  the  Rebellion. 

The  waters  of  Lake  Cochituate,  distant  20  miles,  have  since  1848  been 
conveyed  by  a  brick  conduit  into  the  grand  reservoir  of  Brookline,  and  thence 
been  carried  into  the  subordinate  reservoirs  respectively  of  the  different  sec- 
tions of  the  city.  The  annexation  of  Charlestown  brought  with  it  the  waters 
of  Mystic  Lake.  Boston,  as  the  centre — social,  political,  and  commercial — of 
the  best  educated  and  most  intelligent  State  in  the  Union,  is  pre-eminent 


CUSTOM-HOUSE,    BOSTON. 


'ii 


..I 


68     PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN   PROGRESS. 


m 


throughout  the  Republic  in  literature  and  science.  Its  trade,  likewise,  is  mar. 
vellous  ;  it  is,  in  fact,  more  marvellous,  in  proportion  to  physical  facilities,  than 
even  that  of  New  York ;  for  while  the  latter  city,  with  the  lakes  on  the  one  side 
and  the  ocean  on  the  other,  and  with  the  Hudson  as  a  link  between  them, 
drains  regions  of  vast  e:H:tent  and  singular  fertility ;  Boston,  to  say  nothing  of 
rugged  soil  and  ungenial  climate,  is  cut  off  from  the  interior,  such  as  it  is,  by 
the  entire  want  of  inland  waters.  But  what  New  York  has  so  largely  inherited 
from  nature,  Boston  has  in  some  measure  created  for  itself.  By  eight  great 
systems  of  railway  it  reaches,  besides  the  coasts  to  the  north  and  south,  the 
St.  Lawrence  and  the  lakes,  the  Hudson  and  the  Mississippi ;  while  it  virtually 
connects  those  channels  of  communication  with  Europe  and  its  network  of 
iron  roads.  In  several  departments  of  maritime  traffic,  such  as  the  coasting 
intercourse  and  the  trade  with  Russia,  India,  and  China,  Boston  is  under- 
stood to  possess  far  more  than  its  share. 

COMMERCE  AND   MANUFACTURES. 

Its  harbor  is  open  at  all 
seasons,  and  its  deep  water 
front  affords  accommoda- 
tioi"!  for  loading  and  un- 
loading vessels  without  de- 
lay. It  affords  anchorage 
for  over  5cx>  vessels  of  the 
largest  class.  In  the  har- 
bor are  more  than  fifty 
beautiful  islands.  The  prin- 
cipal entrance  to  the  har- 
bor is  very  narrow,  it  is 
between  Castle  and  Gover- 
nor's Islands,  and  is  well  defended  by  Fort  Independence  and  Fort  Warren. 
There  are  stationary  elevators  under  whigh  steamers  can  be  loaded.  Boston 
has  made  great  progress  in  competing  for  the  export  trade,  and  the  opening 
of  the  "  through  business,"  which  first  originated  in  Boston,  has  done  much 
for  her  shipping  interests.  Boston  claims  to  be  the  shortest  and  cheapest  line 
between  the  great  Northwest  and  Europe.  In  extent  of  imports  Boston  ranks 
next  to  New  York,  and  third  city  in  the  United  States  in  the  value  of  foreign 
commerce,  New  York  being  first  and  New  Orleans  second.  The  total  value 
erf  the  commerce  in  Boston  in  one  year  was  $87,055,255.  Over  1,000  vessels 
belong  to  the  port,  with  an  aggregate  tonnage  of  nearly  400,000.  The  princi- 
pal industries  are  45  book-publishing  establishments,  over  100  printing-houses, 
55  cabinet-ware  factories,  about  35  book-binderies,  40  establishments  for  the 
manufacture  of  machinery,  33  hat  and  cap  factories,  30  establishments  for  the 
manufacture  of  watches.  It  is  a  centre  of  the  boot  and  shoe  trade,  the  leather 
trade,  and  of  the  trade  in  foreign  and  domestic  dry-goods.  The  other  manu- 
factures of  the  city  are   many  and  varied,  including — besides   ship-building, 


THE  HANCOCK  HOUSE,  BOSTON. 


LESS. 


CITY  OF  BOSTON. 


69 


ise,  is  mar. 
lities,  than 
le  one  side 
reen  them, 
nothing  of 
as  it  is,  by 
y  inherited 
eight  great 
south,  the 
it  virtually 
network  of 
he  coasting 
n  is  under- 


5  open  at  all 
5  deep  water 
iccommoda- 
ng  and   un- 
without  de- 
s  anchorage 
sssels  of  the 
In  the  har- 
than    fifty 
is.  Theprin- 
to  the  har- 
[arrow,  it   is 
and  Gover- 
ort  Warren, 
id.     Boston 
[the  opening 
done  much 
Iheapest  line 
loston  ranks 
le  of  foreign 
total  value 
,000  vessels 
The  princi- 
ting-houses, 
ints  for  the 
lents  for  the 
I,  the  leather 
ither  manu- 
lip-building, 


sugar  refining,  and  leather  dressing — clothing,  jewelry,  chemicals,  brass  and 
iron  castings,  cars,  carriages,  pianos,  upholstery,  glass,  organs,  melodeons, 
etc.,  etc.  The  business  of  the  city  is  promoted  by  61  national  banks — 
more  than  any  other  city  in  the  Union  has — with  a  capital  of  more  than 
$57,cxx),oco.    Thirty  of  these  have  cash  capitals  of  $1,000,000  or  more  each. 

PUBLICv  INSTITUTIONS— GROWTH   OF   BOSTON,   ETC. 

The  first  "  meeting-house "  was  erected  near  the  head  of  State  Street, 
1632.     John  Cotton  was  one  of  its   pastors.     The  city  contains  now  over 
200    churches.       Free 
schools,    open     to    all, 
were  established  in  the 
United    States   first    in 
Boston   250  years  ago, 
and   the    excellence    of 
the  system  of  public  in- 
struction there  has  been 
so  great  that  many  other 
cities    have    taken    its 
schools     for     patterns. 
The  university  at  Cam- 
bridge properly  belongs 
to   the    Boston    school 
system,  for  it  was  found- 
ed by  the  men  who  set- 
tled Boston,  and  was  in- 
tended  for  the    educa- 
tion of  the  youth  of  the 
city     and     surrounding 
country.      Indeed, 
"  Newe  Town,"  as  Cam- 
bridge was  first  called, 
was    intended    for    the 
capital  of  the  commonwealth.     Harvard  College  was  founded  in  1638,  and  for 
two  generations  was  the  only  college  in  New  England.     The  public  Latin 
School  in  Boston  was  founded  in  1635,  the  Institute  of  Technology  in  1861, 
Boston  College  in  1863,  Boston  University  in  1869.     There  are  more  than  200 
public  schools  in  the  city.     Private  schools  abound.     The  chief  libraries  are 
the  Public,  with  459,031   volumes,  and  115,000  pamphlets,  etc.,  distributing 
1,500,000  volumes  a  year ;  the  Athenaeum,  125,000  volumes,  circulating  75,000 
volumes  a  year  ;  the  Historical  Society's  library,  containing  75,000  books  and 
pamphlets,  many  of  them  being  among  the  rarest  of  publications ;  the  State 
Library,  with  50,000  volumes  ;  the  Social  Law  Library,  with  16,000  law  books ; 
the  library  of  the  Historic-Genealogical  Society,  75,000  books  and  pamphlets ; 
the  General  Theological  Library,  with  15,000  volumes. 


LONGFELLOW'S   RESIDENCE,   CAMBRIDGE. 


t    .' 


I       : 


I       i 


70     PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN  PROGRESS. 

The  old  State  House  is  situated  at  the  head  of  State  Street.  It  was  on 
this  spot  that  the  old  Town  House  was  built  in  1763.  It  was  in  the  street  in 
front  of  it  that  the  "  Boston  Massacre  "  occurred,  at  the  time  of  the  excite- 
ment caused  by  the  Stamp  Act.  It  was  from  the  balcony  of  this  building  that 
the  Declaration  of  Independence  was  read. 

On  a  peninsula  to  the  north  of  East  Boston,  rises  Bunker's  Hill,  so  famous 
in  the  war  of  independence  ;  while  the  Dorchester  Heights,  only  less  famous, 
occupy  the  centre  of  South  Boston  ;  and,  lastly,  the  peninsula  of  Old  Boston 
seems  to  have  originally  taken  the  name  of  Tremont,  from  its  three  mounts  or 
hillocks. 

Boston  has  many  public  buildings  worthy  of  notice.  Among  those  that 
are  remarkable  for  architectural  beauty  or  grandeur  are  the  United  States 
Post-ofifice,  on  Post-oflfice  Square,  Trinity  church,  the  Museum  of  Fine  Arts,  the 
Hotel  Venddme,  the  Cathedral  of  the  Holy  Cross,  the  State  House,  the  City 
Hall,  the  English  High  and  Latin  School  on  Warren  Avenue,  and  the  new 

"  Old  South  church."  The  Eng- 
lish High  and  Latin  School  was 
begun  in  1877,  and  the  portion 
to  bv  '  ^or  school  purposes 

cost  lan  $400,000.     The 

remi  is  used  by  oflficers  of 

the   St  joard.      The   entire 

edifice  is  one  of  the  largest  for 
educational  purposes  in  America. 
Boston's  original  owner,  John 
Blackstone,  sold  out  his  right 
and  title,  in  1635,  for  ;£"30.  With 
so  well  chosen  a  site,  and,  doubt- 
less,  also  through  the  industry  and 
enterprise  of  its  Puritan  occupiers, 
the  new  town  increased  so  stead- 
ily in  wealth  and  population, 
that  in  less  than  a  century  and  a 
half  it  became  the  foremost  champion  of  colonial  independence.  Since  then 
it  has  overleaped  its  natural  limits,  swarming  off,  as  it  were,  into  an  island 
toward  the  northeast,  and  into  the  mainland  on  the  southeast,  and  consists  of 
Old,  East,  and  South  Boston ;  Roxbury,  annexed  in  1868  ;  Dorchester,  annexed 
in  1870;  and  Charlestown,  Brighton,  and  West  Roxbury,  annexed  in  1873; 
which  are  connected  by  bridges.  An  immense  dam,  called  the  Western 
Avenue,  connects  the  whole  with  the  inner  side  of  the  harbor.  All  the  divi- 
sions of  the  city  are  of  an  uneven  surface  ;  undulation,  in  fact,  is  a  character- 
istic of  the  entire  neighborhood — continent,  islands,  and  peninsulas  alike. 
The  inhabitants  are  essentially  of  the  old  British  type,  as  befits  the  descend- 
ants of  the  "  Pilgrim  Fathers." 

In  1880  the  250th  anniversary  of  the  settlement  of  Boston  was  celebrated. 


GORE    HALL,     CAMBRIDGE. 


''I 


CITY  OF  BOSTON. 


71 


was  on 
reet  in 
excite- 
ng  that 

famous 

famous, 

Boston 

)unts  or 

3se  that 

i  States 

(\rts,  the 

the  City 

the  new 

rhe  Eng- 

hool  was 

:  portion 

purposes 

00.     The 

)fificers  of 

he   entire 

argest  for 
America, 
ner,  John 
his  right 
30.   With 

nd,  doubt- 
iustry  and 
occupiers, 
d  so  stead- 
opulation, 
tury  and  a 
Since  then 
an  island 
consists  of 
;r,  annexed 
i  in  1873; 
e  Western 
.11  the  divi- 
character- 
sulas  alike, 
he  descend- 

celebrated. 


Boston  was  a  town  for  192  years.  In  1700  the  population  was  only  about 
7,000;  in  1790,  18,000;  in  1830,61,000;  in  1870,  250,000;  in  1880,  363,968; 
in  1886,  410,000.  If  we  add  to  this  the  population  of  the  CiTY  OF  Cambridge, 
which  in  1886  was  60,000,  it  brings  the  population  up  to  470,000. 

The  Highland  Street  Railway  Company  petitioned  the  Legislature  on 
January  26,  1886,  for  leave  to  lease  or  purchase  the  franchises  and  property  of 
any  and  all  other  street  railroad  companies  in  Boston,  making  one  consolidated 
compwiy,  with  authority  to  make  such  undergound  or  surface  alterations  of 
the  streets  as  may  be  necessary  to  establish  and  maintain  a  cable  system  of 
motive  power,  amd  also  that  it  may  increase  its  capital  stock  as  may  be 
necessary  to  carry  out  the  above  plans.  The  Highland  Company  claim  that 
by  this  scheme  they  can  run  a  less  number  of  cars,  give  better  service  and 
prevent  the  street  blockades  which  have  been  so  annoying  the  past  year. 


THE   CITY   OF  CAMBRIDGE 
Is  3  miles  northwest  of  Boston,  situated  on  the  west  of  the  Charles  River, 
which  separates  it  from  Boston,  and  is  one  of  the  county  seats  of  Middlesex 
County.     It  is  practically  a  part  of  Boston,  as  Allegheny  is  of  Pittsburgh  or 
Brooklyn  is  of  New  York. 

Here,  in  1638,  within  eighteen  years  after  the  landing  of  the  Pilgrim 
Fathers,  was  founded  Harvard  University  by  the  Rev.  John  Harvard,  who 
bequeathed  it  a  legacy  of  about  $4,000,  and  which  has  gradually  been  endowed 
to  the  amount  of  $1,000,000.  It  is  the  oldest  institution  of  the  kind  in  Amer- 
ica. In  addition  to  the  collegiate  department  proper,  the  University  includes  a 
theological,  law,  scientific,  and  medical  school,  and  a  department  for  such  as 
wish  to  prepare  themselves  for  business  avocations  without  going  through  a 
classical  course.  Cambridge  is  rapidly  advancing.  The  population  in  1830  was 
6,072;  that  of  1870  was  39,634;  1880,  52,669;  1886,  60,000.  The  city  consists 
of  North,  East,  Cambridgeport,  and  Old  Cambridge.  It  covers  a  large  area 
of  territory.  It  is  beautifully  laid  out  in  fine  broad  avenues  with  shade  trees. 
It  was  under  one  of  these  trees  that  Washington  took  command  of  the  Revolu- 
tionary forces  in  1775.  The  house  in  which  Longfellow,  the  poet,  lived  was 
formerly  occupied  by  Washington.  The  College  Duildings  occupy  fourteen 
acres  and  are  situated  in  Old  Cambridge.    They  are  shaded  by  fine  old  elm  trees. 

Among  the  conspicuous  buildings  near  the  College  are  the  Harvard  Law 
School ;  the  Lawrence  Scientific  School ;  the  Museum  of  Comparative  Zoology', 
founded  by  Louis  Agassiz ;  the  Observatory,  and  Memorial  Hall,  which  is 
310  feet  by  115,  with  a  tower  200  feet  high,  erected  to  the  memory  of  Har- 
vard graduates  and  students  who  lost  their  lives  in  the  service  of  their  country 
during  the  Civil  War.  This  is  conceded  to  be  the  grandest  College  Hall  in 
the  world.  It  contains  three  apartments — a  memorial  vestibule,  a  dining 
hall  which  seats  1,000  persons,  and  the  Sanders  theatre  for  large  academic 
assemblages.  A  fine  granite  monument,  erected  by  the  city  in  honor  of  the 
soldiers  who  lost  their  lives  in  the  Rebellion,  stands  near  the  college. 


M 


ri    PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN    PROGRESS. 

Mount  Auburn  is  one  of  the  finest  cemeteries  in  the  country.  It  is  laid 
out  in  a  picturesque  manner  and  occupies  125  acres  of  hill  and  valley.  It  was 
dedicated  in  183 1,  and  is  the  oldest  of  the  beautiful  burying-places  of 
America. 

Cambridge  is  not  much  of  a  business  centre,  but  is,  to  a  great  extent,  a 
home  for  the  people  of  Boston.  Among  its  industries  may  be  mentioned  the 
manufacture  of  steam-engines,  locomotives,  cabinet-ware,  chemicals,  biscuit, 
brushes,  candles,  soap,  chairs,  carriages,  glass,  marble,  books,  etc.,  etc.  The 
University  printing-office  is  located  here,  and  the  Riverside  Press;  the  former 
is  the  oldest  printing  establishment  in  the  Union. 

Bridges  over  Charles  River  connect  Cambridge  with  Boston,  Brighton,  and 
Brookline.  Horse  railroads  connect  with  all  adjacent  towns,  and  the  Boston 
and  Lowell  and  the  Fitchburg  railroads  pass  through  East  Cambridge. 

Cambridge  has  a  large  number  of  fine  public  schools,  thirty-two  churches, 
and  several  newspapers.  The  place  was  first  settled  as  Newtown  in  1630.  At 
that  time  it  was  intended  by  Winthrop  and  others  to  make  it  the  principal 
town  in  the  colony.  Mr.  Hooker  was  settled  as  the  first  minister  in  1632.  In 
1638  a  vote  was  passed  appropriating  money  to  establish  a  public  school,  to 
which  was  added  the  large  grant,  as  above,  by  the  Rev.  John  Harvard,  of 
Charlestown.  The  city  was  incorporated  in  1846.  It  now  has  a  regular  City 
Government  vested  in  a  Mayor,  Aldermen,  and  Common  Council. 


DRAWING-ROOM  CAR— FROM  BOSTON  TO  NEW  ORLEANS. 


ss. 

It  is  laid 

It  was 

ilaces  of 

extent,  a 
ined  the 
biscuit, 
tc.  Tlie 
le  former 

titon,  and 
le  Boston 
e. 
churches, 

1630.  At 
principal 
1632.  In 
school,  to 
[arvard,  of 
gular  City 


■  / 


S"f^V.&|^ 


NEW  ORLEANS  SCENERY. 

1.  Uetaire  Cemetery.    3.  Jackson  Square.    .3.  Oarrier  Street.    4.  View  from  St.  Patrick's  CatfaedraL 

h.  Stone-rall  Jackson  Monument.    6.  Robert  E.  Lee  Monument.    7.  West  End  Promenade. 

6.  Bntmnce  to  Metaire  Cemetery.    9.  West  End  Hotel.    10.  Tombs  Metaire  Cemetery. 

U.  Staircase  to  errand  Opera  House.       IS,  OntbeLeToe. 


l» 


•* 


CITY  or  NHW  ORLliANS. 


EW  ORLEANS  is  the  capital  of  Louisiana,  and  a  port 
of  entry,  situated  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Mississippi 
River,   io8  miles  from   its   mouth.     It   ranks  next  to 
New  York  in  the  value  of  its  exports  and  foreign  com- 
merce.    Nearly  all  the  streets  running  parallel  with  the 
Mississippi  River,  from  the  lower  to  the  upper  part  of 
the  city,  are  about  12  miles  long;  the  streets  running 
at  right  angles  to  these  descend  from  the  river  bank  to  the 
swamps  ;  the  drainage  is  by  canals  which  open  into  Lake  Pont- 
chartrain,  which  is  on  a  level  with  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.     The 
city  being  built  on  ground  lower  than  the  high-water  level,  is 
protected  from  inundations  by  the  levee  or  embankments,  which 
extend  on  both  banks  of  the  river  for  several  hundred  miles. 
About  half  of  its  40  square  miles  of  territory  is  closely  inhabited, 
while  the  rest  is  nearly  all  swamp.     The  city  extends  along  the 
river  on  an  inner  and  outer  curve,  giving  it  the  shape  of  the 
letter  S.     The  older  portion,  extending  around  the  outer  curve, 


LAFAYETTE  SQUARE,  NEW  ORLEANS. 


gave  it  the  name  of  the  "  Crescent  City."  New  Orleans  is  the  great  port  of  tran- 
shipment for  a  large  portion  of  the  crops  of  the  southwestern  States,  and  the 
produce  of  the  vast  region  drained  by  the  Mississippi  and  its  tributaries.     It 

(73) 


1  i 


if' 

"I 

f 


m 


COTTON  EXCHANGE,  NEW  ORLEANS, 


^?v 


CITY  OF   NEW   ORLEANS. 


75 


commands  10,000  miles  of  steamboat  navigation,  and  is  the  natural  entrepot 
of  one  of  the  richest  regions  of  the  world.  In  1861  the  city  had  arrived  at  its 
greatest  commercial  prosperity  ;  in  that  year  it  received  and  handled  460,000 
hogsheads  of  sugar  and  2,255,448  bales  of  cotton.  Its  commerce  and  general 
prosperity  were  geatly  retarded  by  the  War,  and  since  that  period  by  political 
agitation  and  severe  visitations  of  yellow  fever ;  yet,  notwithstanding  these 
drawbacks,  its  imports  average  about  $12,000,000  and  its  exports  nearly  $100,- 
000,000.  The  Custom-house  is  one  of  the  largest  buildings  in  America.  In  con- 
sequence of  its  natural  advantages,  geographical  location,  and  the  recent  navi- 
gation improvements  in  the  river,  the  commerce  of  New  Orleans  is  destined 
to  be  greatly  increased,  and  the  probabilities  are  that  it  will  eventually  be  one 
of  the  first  cities  in  America.  It  is  generally  conceded  that  New  Orleans  is  an 
unhealthy  city  to  reside  in  ;  its  vital  statistics,  however,  show  plainly  that  it  is 
not  exceptionally  so  in  comparison  with  other  cities  in  the  United  States  and 
throughout  tl  j  world.  Many  sanitary  improvements  have  been  introduced 
since  the  yellow  fever  epidemic  of  1878.  It  is  seldom  that  the  temperature  is 
in  the  extreme,  ranging  from  50°  to  85°,  the  general  average  being  about  68°. 
New  Orleans  bears  the  impress  of  three  distinct  civilizations  in  her  society, 
her  architecture,  and  her  laws.  It  was  settled  in  1718  by  the  French  ;  in  1762 
it  was  transferred  to  Spain  with  Louisiana;  and  in  1800  retransferred  to 
France,  and  sold  in  1803,  by  Napoleon  I.,  with  a  vast  territory,  for  $15,000,000, 
to  the  United  States.  At  this  time  the  population  was  about  8,000,  mostly 
French  and  Spanish.  It  was  successfully  defended  in  181 5  by  General  Jack- 
son, afterward  President,  against  the  British.  The  city  became  an  important 
centre  of  military  operations  during  the  War  for  the  Union.  Louisiana  hav- 
ing seceded  in  i860,  a  Federal  fleet  blockaded  the  city.  Farragut,  with  an 
expedition  of  gun-boats,  forced  the  defences  near  the  entrance  to  the  river  on 
April  24,  1862.  The  city  was  forced  to  surrender,  and  was  then  occupied  by 
General  Benjamin  F.  Butler,  as  military  governor. 

Among  the  buildings  of  fine  architectural  appearance  are  the  Roman  Cath- 
olic cathedral,  on  Lafayette  Square,  facing  the  levee ;  the  Mint,  the  Post-office, 
the  City  Hall,  the  Custom-house,  and  Svite  House.  The  hotels,  theatres,  and 
public  buildings  are  on  a  magnificent  scale.  There  are  numerous  hospitals, 
infirmaries,  and  asylums,  several  colleges,  and  145  churches.  Besides  the  great 
river,  New  Orleans  has  railways  connecting  it  with  all  parts  of  the  country. 
The  soil  is  full  of  water,  so  that  no  excavations  can  be  made.  The  largest 
buildings  have  no  cellars  below  the  surface ;  and  in  the  cemeteries  there  are 
no  graves,  but  the  dead  arc  placed  in  tombs,  or  "  ovens,"  five  or  six  tiers  above 
ground.     The  remains  are  often  collected  and  burned. 

There  are  numerous  public  parks,  several  canals,  and  16  markets.  The 
best  streets  are  wide,  bordered  with  trees,  and  are  very  attractive  in  appear- 
ance :  some  of  them  paved  and  some  of  them  shelled,  all  lined  with  princely 
residences  set  with  gardens,  where  the  palm  and  magnolia  are  in  their  glory,  and 
the  roses  blossom  in  mid-winter.  Canal  Street,  which  is  the  great  wide  thor- 
oughfare, has  many  fine  stores  and  ele  -^ant  private  residences.    The  continuation 


I 


i^fw^mm^ 


76    PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN   PROGRESS. 

of  Canal  Street  is  a  fine  shell  road  to  the  lake,  the  shores  of  which  contain  an 
mexhaustible  quantity  of  white  ^;hells. 

The  manufactures,  which  are  small  in  proportion  to  the  commerce,  consist 
of  oil,  syrup,  soap,  cotton-seed  oil,  sugar  refineries,  distilleries,  and  breweries. 
There  are  a  large  number  of  insurance  companies,  banking  institutions,  tow- 
boat  companies,  and  custom-house  warehouses. 

The  city  has  a  May or^  and  seven  officers,  known  as  administrators.  The  police 
are  mounted,  and  under  the  control  of  the  Governor  of  the  State.  The  pub- 
lic schools,  of  which  there  are  nearly  100,  are  also  under  State  control,  the  city 
providing  for  their  support.  Among  the  other  educational  institutions  are 
the  Mechanical  and  Agricultural  College,  the  Dental  College,  the  Jesuit  Col- 
lege, and  the  University  of  Louisiana.  There  are  about  40  Catholic  churches, 
and  a  large  Catholic  population,  consisting  of  French,  Irish,  Italian,  and  Spanish. 

In  1820  the  population  of  New  Orleans  had  increased  to  27,000;  in  i860, 
to  168,823  ;  and  consisted  of  Americans,  French  Creoles,  Irish,  Germans, 
Spaniards,  etc.  In  1870  it  was  191,418;  in  1880,  216,090;  and  in  1886, 
236,425.     The  expenditures  for  1884  were  $i»'47>496- 


^ 


!l 


THE    MAIN    BUILDING. 

The  water  is  supplied  from  the  river  for  household  purposes,  except  drink- 
ing, for  which  rain-water  only,  kept  in  cisterns,  is  used. 

Before  the  mint  was  established  in  New  Orleans,  t\ve  coins  used  were  Span- 
ish,  the  dollar  being  the  Spanish  milled  dollar.  There  were  several  other  coins, 
iricluding  the  pistareen  (20  cts.),  and  the  picayune,  the  latter  being  equal  to 
6^  cts.,  was  the  smallest  coin  used.  After  the  mint  was  established,  and  pre- 
vious to  the  Civil  War,  our  nickel  was  the  smallest  coin  in  circulation,  and 
many  used  to  say  that  they  did  not  want  any  "  nasty  dirty  cents." 

To  say  the  least,  it  is  a  wonderful  city,  and  has  a  great  future.  It  has 
some  of  the  finest  restaurants  in  the  world.  Hospitality  is  the  rule  and  not 
the  exception  ;  hearts  appear  to  widen,  nature  expands  under  the  influence  of 
the  genial  southern  sun,  and  a  stranger  caunot  remain  a  stranger  in  Nevr 
Orleans  long. 

New  Orleans  has  been  known  as  the  Paris  of  America,  the  home  of  refine- 
ment, wealth,  and  luxury,  and  the  abode  of  pleasure.  It  is  a  most  cosmopoli- 
tan city  ;  and  its  ways  partake  largely  of  the  traditional  habits  of  both  Spanish 
and  French  towns.     It  is  gay,  yet  sad.     Its  people  are  fond  of  idleness,  yet 


CITY  OF  NEW  ORLEANS. 


n 


build  up  and  sustain  a  great  commerce.  It  is  an  enigma.  The  streets  in  the 
French  quarter  are  narrow.  It  may  be  Sunday  morning,  but  trad-;  is  going 
on  briskly.  The  names  of  streets  and  firms  are  all  those  of  a  foreign  people. 
Here  and  there  one  encounters  a  word  in  Spanish  or  Italian. 

The  great  Cosmopolitan  French  Market,  where  one  may  buy  almost  any- 
thing that  can  be  named,  rambles  along  in  several  squares  of  low,  densely 
populated  sheds,  with  a  labyrinth  of  narrow  alleyways.  It  is  quite  the  thing 
to  resort  here  early  on  Sunday  morning,  and,  taking  a  cup  of  excellent  coffee 
from  one  of  the  many  stands,  mingle  with  the  populace  for  an  hour,  and  enter 
into  the  spirit  of  their  Sunday  bargain-making. 

From  the  French  market  it  is  a  pleasant  walk  along  the  broad  levee, 
thronged  at  all  times  with  people  who  have  business  upon  the  great  marine 
highway  which  bisects  the  Union.  Here  are  acres  of  cotton,  of  molasses  in 
huge  hogsheads,  and  of  tobacco  or  general  merchandise.  The  huge  steamers 
of  the  curious  pattern  peculiar  to  Western  rivers  are  ranged  along  the  levee  for 


:  drink- 


UNITED   STATES  AND   STATE   EXHIBITS   BUILDING. 

miles ;  their  blunt  noses  run  diagonally  up  against  the  sloping  shore ;  long 
gang-planks  are  thrown  out  and  double  ranks  of  sable  roustabouts  go  and  come 
like  ants  with  their  burdens,  singing  in  time  with  their  work. 

The  beautiful  cemeteries  of  New  Orleans  are  well  worth  a  visit.  To  the 
stranger,  the  long  streets  of  tombs  are  somewhat  depressing. 

The  merchant  will  admire  the  beautiful  structure  of  the  Cotton  Exchange. 
The  club  life  of  the  city  is  a  feature,  and  the  restaurants,  saloons,  and  billiard 
parlors,  theatres  and  concert-halls,  with  their  myriad  lights,  impart  a  Parisian- 
like effect  to  the  streets  in  the  evening.  Canal  Street  is  the  great  thorough- 
fare and  fashionable  promenade  of  the  city.  Beautiful  buildings  and  beautiful 
broad  walks,  illuminated  by  the  faces  and  figures  of  the  most  beautiful  women 
in  America,  gay  with  showy  equipages  and  brilliant  with  the  displays  of  the 
great  shops.  Canal  Street  will  be  found  to  rival  in  beauty  the  thoroughfare?,  of 
many  of  the  cities  of  this  or  any  other  land,  and  its  beauty  is  a  matter  of 
wonder  and  admiration  to  the  visitor  from  the  North  and  East. 


Si 


THE  WORLD'S   EXPOSITION. 
Fortunately  for  the  World's  Exposition,  its  resources,  though  not  lavish, 
were  abundant  for  all  the  purposes  of  providing  ample  space,  securing  necessary 


78    PICTURESQUE   SKETCHES   OF  AMERICAN   PROGRESS. 

attractions,  and  promoting  the  completest  success.  The  appropriation  by  the 
general  Government  of  $1,300,000,  the  contribution  of  the  citizens  of  New 
Orleans  of  $500,000,  and  the  appropriation  by  the  city  of  New  Orleans  and 
the  State  of  Louisiana,  each  of  $100,000,  afforded  an  ample  source  for  the  pur- 
poses mentioned.  The  management  of  the  Exposition  had  been  benefited  by 
the  experience  gained  by  others  in  conducting  like  undertakings.  It  did  not 
consider  it  politic  or  necessary  to  give  to  temporary  structures  the  same 
degree  of  elaboration  and  detail  that  should  be  given  to  those  that  were  intended 
for  permanence.  So  that,  as  an  instance,  the  main  building  of  the  World  s 
Exposition,  while  affording  fifty  per  cent,  more  space  than  the  main  building  of 
the  Philadelphia  Centennial,  and  being  fully  as  pleasing  in  architectural  design 
and  appearance,  affording  equal  facilities  in  every  respect  for  position,  inspec- 
tion, and  display,  did  not  cost  one-fourth  as  much  to  erect.  The  same  can 
be  said  of  the  other  structures. 

The  carnival  pageants,  which  occurred  about  the  middle  of  the  Exposition 
period,  were  the  most  elaborate  and  brilliant  of  this  world-wide  famed  festival. 


\ 


DRAWING-ROOM  CAR — FROM  NEW  ORLEANS  TO  SAN  FRANCISCO. 


CITY  OF  SAN  FRANCISCO. 


(,i 


ding  of 


AN    FRANCISCO   is  the   most    important   city  on   the 
Pacific  Coast  of  North  America.     It  is  the  capital  of  San 
Francisco  County,  CaHfornia.    The  city  and  county,  which 
were  consoHdated  in   1856,  contain  an  area  of  42  square 
miles.   The  city  is  situated  at  the  north  end  of  a  peninsula 
20  miles  long  and,  at  this  end,  6  miles  wide,  which  sepa- 
rates the  ocean  from  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco,  arid  com- 
prises, in  addition  to  the  northern  part  of  the  peninsula,  several 
islands,  some  of  which  are  24  miles  out  in  the  Pacific.     It  is 
about  5  miles  south  of  the  Golden  Gate,  which  is  3  miles  wide, 
and  is  the  outlet,  leading  west  through  the  range  of  mountains 
on  the  coast,  and  connecting  the  bay  with  the  Pacific  Ocean. 
Table  Mill,  on  the  north  of  this  strait,  is  2,500  feet  high.     The 
city  enjoys  a  monopoly  of  the  commerce  on  the  North  Pacific 
Coast  in  consequence  of  its  harbor,  which  is  decidedly  the  finest 
on  the  western  coast  of  North  America.     The  bay  extends  50 
miles  in  a  direction  slightly  east  of  south,  and  is  in  some  parts 


!i 


I-  I 


THE     BALDWIN     HOUSE. 

20  miles  wide.    The  Guadaloupe  River  empties  itself  into  the  south  end  of  the 
bay.     At  the  north  the  bay  communicates  by  a  strait  very  much  like  the 

(79) 


8o     PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN  PROGRESS. 


Golden  Gate  with  San  Pablo  Bay,  which  is  about  1 5  n»tles  in  diameter,  which 
receives  the  waters  of  the  two  principal  rivers  of  California,  the  Sskcramento 
and  San  Joaquin.  The  climate  is  mild  and  healthy;  the  temperature  m  Jauau- 
ary  is  49°  F. ;  in  July,  58" ;  and  averages  about  56°.  The  summer  is  exceed- 
ingly cool  and  delightful.  About  50  ocean  steamers  run  from  this  port  regularly 
to  Japan,  Australia,  China,  Panama,  Mexico,  Victoria,  and  to  domestic  ports  on 
the  Pacific  Ocean,  besides  many  inland  steamers  which  ply  on  the  tributaries  to 
the  bay.  About  5,cxx)  sea-going  vessels  arrive  in  San  Francisco  annually.  Four 
railroads,  the  Central  Pacific,  the  North  Pacific  Coast,  the  California  Pacific, 
and  the  San  Francisco  and  North  Pacific,  terminate  on  the  Bay  of  San  Fran- 
cisco, being  connected  with  the  city  by  steam-ferries,  the  Southern  Pacific 
being  the  only  railroad  which  terminates  in  the  city.  A  part  of  the  land  upon 
which  the  city  stands  was  quite  hilly,  but  has  been  leveled.  The  soil  is  sandy 
and  unproductive.  The  connection  of  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad  with  the 
Union  Pacific  Railroad,  completed  in  1870,  makes  San  Francisco  an  important 
point  as  the  commercial  highway  from  Europe  and  the  eastern  United  States 
to  Asia.  In  1776  a  Spanish  military  post  was  established  on  the  present  site 
of  the  city.  A  mission  of  San  Franciscan  Friars  was  commenced  in  the  same 
year  by  two  Spanish  monks  for  converting  Indians.  This  mission  flourished, 
and  in  1825  had  1,800  Indians  under  its  care,  and  possessed  76,000  cattle  and 
97,000  sheep.  In  1835  the  property  of  the  mission  having  been  secularized,  a 
village  was  laid  out  and  called  Yerba  Buena.  The  name  was  changed  to  San 
Francisco  in  1847  5  ^*  *^'s  time  the  population  was  only  450.  In  1848  the  dis- 
covery of  gold  in  California  created  an  immense  excitement,  and  people  flocked 
there  from  all  parts  of  the  world.  The  growth  of  San  Francisco  from  that 
time  was  marvellous.  In  three  years  the  population  had  increased  from  450 
to  25,000,  and  the  city  was  then  incorporated  (1850).  In  1849-51  the  city  was 
visited  by  several  large  fires  which  devastated  the  business  portion.  Slight 
earthquakes  are  frequent,  but  do  little  damage.  In  1851-56  the  criminal 
classes  were  so  numerous  and  lawless,  and  the  municipal  government  so  corrupt, 
that  the  citizens,  in  order  to  protect  themselves,  organized  vigilance  committees 
which  summarily  dealt  with  a  number  of  public  criminals  and  awed  others  into 
subjection.  Since  that  time  the  city  has  been  more  orderly.  It  was  here  that, 
in  1877-78,  Dennis  Kearney  created  so  much  excitement,  and  from  which 
trouble  was  apprehended.  San  Francisco  has  probably  the  finest  hotels  in  the 
world,  among  which  is  the  Baldwin  House,  which,  it  is  stated,  cost  $3,500,000 
in  construction.  It  is  one  of  the  most  magnificent  buildings  of  the  kind  in  the 
world.  The  Palace  Hotel  is  said  to  be  the  largest,  and  for  architectural 
bearty  is  rarely  excelled.  It  cost  $3,250,900  in  land  and  construction.  Both 
thesv^  houses  are  first-class  in  all  their  appointments.  The  Cosmopolitan,  the 
Occidental,  and  the  Lick  House  are  also  first-class  hotels.  The  custom  of  re- 
siding in  hotels  is  very  popular  in  San  Francisco,  not  only  for  single  men,  but 
also  for  families;  and  some  of  the  hotels  have  accommodations  for  1,200 
guests.  Several  of  the  public  buildings  are  fine  specimens  of  architecture. 
Among  these  are  the  new  City  Hall,  which  cost  $4,000,000 ;  the  Merchants 


CITY  OF   SAN   FRANCISCO. 


8i 


Exchange,  the  Mercantile  Library  building,  the  Bank  of  California,  the  new 
U.  S.  Branch  Mint.  The  Custom-house  and  Post-office  is  a  plain,  substantial 
building.  In  the  southern  portion  of  the  city,  especially  in  Dupont  and  Stock- 
ton Streets,  are  a  large  number  of  fine,  handsome,  brick  residences.  The 
fashionable  promenades,  on  which  are  the  great  retail  stores,  are  Montgomery, 
Market,  and  Kearney  Streets.  On  California  Street  can  be  found  the  principal 
banks  and  brokers'  and  insurance  offices.  In  Front,  Sansome,  and  Battery 
Streets  can  be  found  '.tie  principal  wholesale  houses.  Many  of  the  private  resi- 
dences are  built  of  wood,  which  in  many  instances  are  very  handsome,  and  the 
grounds  laid  out  with  flowers  and  evergreens.  The  streets  are  wide,  and  cross 
each  other  at  right  angles ;  there  are  no  shade  trees.  The  business  portion, 
which  is  closely  built  up,  is  paved  with  Belgian  blocks  and  cobble-stones. 
There  are  nearly  icx)  churches  in  the  city,  which  is  the  residence  of  an  Epis- 
copal bishop  and  a  Roman  Catholic  archbishop.  The  most  important  church 
edifices  are  St.  Mary's  Cathedral  and  St.  Patrick's  Church  (both  Roman  Catho- 
lic), the  latter  being  the  finest  church  edifice  on  the  Pacific  Slope;  Grace 
Church  and  Trinity  Church  (both  Episcopal)  are  fine  structures.  The  First 
Unitarian  Church  is  considered  one  of  the  finest  buildings  in  the  city ;  it  has 
over  lOO  papers  and  periodicals  ;  i8  public  libraries  ;  various  charitable  institu- 
tions and  schools ;  five  colleges,  three  of  which  are  literary  and  two  medical ; 
an  academy  of  sciences ;  and  a  school  of  design. 

Of  the  population  attracted  by  the  discovery  of  gold  to  San  Francisco,  a 
great  number  are  Irish,  German,  British,  French,  and  Chinese.  There  are 
newspapers  in  English,  French,  German,  Spanish,  Italian,  and  Chinese.  The 
Chinese  have  a  church,  Roman  Catholic,  with  a  Chinese  priest  educated  at 
Rome;  and  a  school.  Among  the  manufactures  are  flour,  woolen  goods,  iron, 
silk  goods,  carriages,  iron  castings,  glass,  soap,  leather,  cordage,  pianos,  furni- 
ture, billiard  tables,  wind  mills,  willow- ware,  sashes,  doors,  cigars,  boots  and 
shoes,  etc.  The  Golden  Gate  Park,  west  of  the  city,  contains  1,043  acres.  It 
is  the  only  public  park,  and  is  not  yet  completed.  There  are  three  or  four 
public  squares  in  the  city,  which  are  planted  with  trees  and  shrubs.  "China- 
town "  is  a  great  curiosity  to  strangers.  It  is  here  that  the  Chinamen  are 
huddled  together,  and  live  as  though  in  China.  They  have  Chinese  theatres, 
joss-houses,  opium-cellars,  and  gambling-houses. 

The  exports  are  chiefly  wheat,  barley,  wool,  quicksilver,  hides,  furs,  flour, 
gunpowder,  and  copper-ore.  The  imports  include  sugar,  coal,  rice,  coffee,  tea, 
wines  and  spirits,  iron,  cotton,  silk,  and  various  manufactured  goods.  With 
the  finest  harbor  on  the  coast,  and  a  population  mainly  composed  of  enter- 
prising people  from  all  parts  of  the  world,  it  is  not  surprising  that  the  city  is 
distinguished  by  its  great  accumulation  of  capital,  large  financial  institutions, 
and  great  mining  operations.  On  January  i,  1880,  889  vessels  belonged  to  the 
port  of  entry,  of  205,206  tons  in  aggregate.  The  exports,  consisting  of  treas- 
ure and  merchandise,  amount  to  about  $62,000,000  annually.  Population : 
i860,  56,000;  1870,  149,000;  1880,  300,000;  1886,  390,000;  including  25,000 
Chinese.     Less  than  one-half  are  natives  of  the  United  States. 


Nifl 


I!  I' 


li'M' 


liii: 


: 


;' .' 


CITY  OP  CHICAGO. 

HICAGO  is  the  principal  city  of  Illinois.    It  is  situated  on 
the  southwestern  shore  of  Lake  Michigan,  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Chicago  River;  on  this  site  in  1803  a  stockade  fort 
was  built,  and  named  Fort  Dearborn  ;  the  place  was  first 
settled  in  1831  ;  in  1832  it  contained  about  a  dozen  fam- 
ilies, besides  the  officers  and  soldiers  at  Fort  Dearborn. 
The  town  was  organized  by  the  election  of  a  board  of 
trustees,  August  10,  1833.     On  September  26th,  of  the  same  year, 
a  treaty  was  made  for  all  their  lands  with  the  Pottawattomies,  7,000 
of  the  tribe  being  present,  after  which  they  were  removed  v/est  of 
the  Mississippi  River.    The  first  charter  of  the  city  was  passed  by 
the  Legislature  March  4,  1837. 

Chicago  is  considered  the  most  remarkable  city  in  the  world  for 
its  rapid  growth  ;  when  in  1831  the  first  white  settlement  was  made, 
it  seemed  a  very  poor  site  on  which  to  build  a  great  city ;  it  con- 
sisted of  muddy  flats ;  the  harbors  were  constructed  to  a  great  ex- 
tent by  human  enterprise  and  ingenuity ;  the  channel  was  dredged,  the  flats 
filled,  and  artificial  structures  erected  to  keep  the  waves  of  the  lake  from  over- 
flowing the  city ;  in  addition  to  this  the  grade  of  the  principal  portion  of  the 
city  was  eventually  raised  from  6  to  lo  feet,  as  the  people  of  Chicago  had 
suffered  much  from  various  kinds  of  fever  and  sickness,  caused  by  the  low, 
marshy  situation ;  it  was  found  necessary  to  have  a  thorough  system  of  sew- 
erage, which  could  only  be  had  by  raising  the  city.  Immense  hotels,  large 
business  structures,  and  blocks  of  heavy  buildings  were  raised  by  jack-screws, 
worked  by  steam  power,  to  the  required  level ;  it  was  one  of  the  most  extra- 
ordinary and  stupendous  engineering  experiments  ever  undertaken  in  this  or 
any  country,  but  it  was  finally  accomplished.  The  city  is  now  built  upon  a 
plain  sufficiently  elevated  to  prevent  inundation,  and  possesses  a  splendid  har- 
bor equal  to  the  demands  of  its  great  commerce ;  the  river  extends  back  from 
the  lake  nearly  three-quarters  of  a  mile,  at  which  point  two  branches  intersect 
it,  one  from  the  south  and  the  other  from  the  north ;  the  south  branch  of  the 
river  is  connected  by  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal  (which  was  completed 
in  1848)  with  the  Illinois  River  at  La  Salle,  making  a  direct  water  communica- 
tion with  the  Mississippi.  The  canal  is  96  miles  in  length,  and  was  originally 
12  feet  above  the  lake  at  its  highest  level;  it  is  now  8^  feet  below  the  lake; 
to  accomplish  this  the  city  expended  in  1866-70  no  less  than  $3,250,000.  The 
river  channel  was  also  deepened  ;  so  that  in  place  of  flowing  into  the  lake,  its 
stream  flows  the  other  way,  receiving  a  fine  supply  of  water  from  the  lake, 
(8a) 


CITY  OF  CHICAGO. 


83 


aated  on 
;  mouth 
<ade  fort 
was  first 
zen  fam- 
)carborn. 
board  of 
imc  year, 
ies,  7,000 
1  v/est  of 
lassed  by 

world  for 
vas  made, 
';  it  con- 
great  ex- 
the  flats 
■om  over- 
)n  of  the 
cago  had 
the  low, 
of  sew- 
tcls,  large 
:k-screvvs, 
3st  extra- 
n  this  or 
upon  a 
:ndid  har- 
Dack  from 
intersect 
ch  of  the 
ompleted 
mmunica- 
originally 
the  lake ; 
ooo.    The 
e  lake,  its 
the  lake, 


which  carries  ofi  the  sewage  of  the  city  at  the  rate  of  a  mile  an  hour,  and  adds 
increased  facilities  for  navigation.  Magnificent  lines  of  breakwater  protect 
the  harbor  at  the  mouth  of  the  river,  and  form  large  basins  for  vessels,  one  of 
which  covers  about  300  acres.  The  extent  of  the  city  along  the  lake  side  is 
about  8  miles,  and  its  area  is  35  square  miles.  The  streets  cross  at  right  angles, 
and   are   about 

66    to   80   feet  v=s^iU=.  r^-.  .-^ 

wide.  The  city 
is  well  laid  out ; 
the  principal 
avenues  run- 
ning parallel 
with  the  lake. 

Numerous 
bridges,  and 
two  stone  tun- 
nels under  the 
river-bed  c  o  n  - 
nect  the  north, 
south,  and  west 
divisions.  The 
tunnels  cost 
the  city  about 
$1,000,000,  and 
are  the  result  of 
great  engineer- 
ing skill ;  the 
south  division 
contains  most 
of  the  business 
and  principal 
buildings  of  the 
city. 

The  adoption 
of  high  license 
in  Chicago  has 
increased  the 
revenue  obtain- 
ed by  the  city 

from  saloons  from  $200,000  to  $1,500,000  a  year,  and  has  reduced  the  num- 
ber of  saloons  from  3,777  to  3,432.     The  license  charge  is  $500. 

Chicago  has  some  very  remarkable  buildings,  among  which  is  the  Chamber 
of  Commerce,  a  very  elaborate  structure,  beautifully  decorated  inside ;  the 
new  County  Court-house  and  City  Hall,  which  occupies  a  whole  block,  and  cost 
$5,000,000  ;  the  United  States  Custom-house  and  Post-of?ice,  which  cost  over 


THE     PALMER     HOUSE. 


'1| 


>'■''> 


I 


h 


ti^ 


84     PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN  PROGRESS. 

$5,0(X>,ooo,  and  occupies  an  entire  block  of  342  feet  by  210  feet ;  the  Exposi- 
tion building  is  of  iron  and  glass,  and  is  a  vast  structure  800  by  200  feet ;  its 
dome  is  160  feet  high  and  60  feet  in  diameter.  Some  of  the  public  schools 
are  capable  of  holding  1,000  children,  and  every  child  without  distinction  can 
be  educated  free,  and  have  the  advantages  of  the  High-school,  which  teaches 
the  classics  and  modern  languages ;  the  Catholics  have  schools  of  their  own, 
and  there  are  numerous  private  academies.  Connected  with  the  University 
of  Chicago  is  a  law  school,  the  Dearborn  Astronomical  Observatory,  and  a 
library  of  about  25,000  volumes  ;  this  is  a  Baptist  institution,  and  was  estab- 
lished through  the  efforts  of  Stephen  A.  Douglas.  There  are  six  medical  col- 
leges, one  of  which  is  open  to  women.  Four  theological  seminaries,  one  each 
— Baptist,  Congregational,  Lutheran,  and  Presbyterian  ;  several  commercial 
colleges  and  female  seminaries.  St.  Ignatius  College  is  a  very  successful 
institution.  The  Public  Library  contains  over  100,000  volumes ;  the  Academy 
of  Sciences  has  a  new  museum  and  library.  There  are  over  300  churches  in 
the  city,  some  of  which  are  very  fine  structures.  There  are  numerous  public 
parks,  the  finest  of  which  are  Lincoln,  Central,  Douglas,  and  Humboldt ;  6  of 
the  principal  parks  contain  a  total  of  2,000  acres  ;  they  are  connected  by  fine 
drives  250  feet  wide  and  30  miles  long ;  a  part  of  the  drive  is  on  the  shore 
of  the  lake,  and  the  surroundings  are  very  picturesque. 

Chicago  is  probably  the  greatest  railroad  centre  in  the  world ;  about  500 
trains  enter  and  leave  daily.  Over  30  railroads  make  this  a  common  centre. 
The  vast  commerce  of  the  entire  chain  of  northern  lakes,  with  3,000  miles  of 
coast  hne,  also  centre  in  this  great  city.  Immense  quantities  of  iron  and  cop- 
per ore  are  brought  from  the  shores  of  Lake  Superior.  Vessels  pass  from 
Chicago  by  way  of  the  Welland  Canal  around  Niagara  to  Montreal,  and  con- 
nect at  that  point  with  steamers  for  Europe.  New  York  is  reached  by  the 
Erie  Canal.  On  the  banks  of  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal,  about  20  miles 
from  Chicago,  are  vast  quarries  of  marble  called  Athens  marble  ;  it  is  consid- 
ered the  finest  building  material  in  the*  Union.  This  canal  is  of  great  import- 
ance, as  it  is  convenient  for  the  coal-fields  of  Illinois,  and  gives  direct  commu- 
nication with  the  Mississippi,  its  tributaries,  and  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 

In  October,  1871,  a  terrible  fire  occurred,  which  raged  two  days  and  nights, 
burned  18,000  houses,  extending  over  more  than  2,000  acres,  embracing  nearly 
all  the  business  portion  of  the  city  and  a  large  number  of  private  residences  ; 
200  persons  perished,  and  nearly  100,000  were  rendered  homeless.  The  prop- 
erty burned  was  estimated  at  $200,000,000 ;  it  included  the  court-house,  cus- 
tom-house, post-office,  newspaper  offices,  10  theatres  and  halls,  41  churches, 
32  hotels,  3  railroad  depots,  5  grain  elevators,  8  school-houses,  and  of  the 
banks  there  was  only  one  left.  The  insurance  recovered  was  about  $40,000,000. 
This  stupendous  calamity  awakened  the  sympathy  of  the  civilized  world.  The 
city  was  entirely  rebuilt  in  a  style  of  great  magnificence  within  two  years. 
Over  $7,000,000  were  raised  in  this  country  and  in  Europe  in  aid  of  the 
sufferers. 

As  a  commercial  centre  Chicago  ranks  next  to  New  York.     It  is  the  most 


CITY  OF  CHICAGO. 


85 


i^xposi- 
et ;  its 
ichools 
on  can 
teaches  , 
ir  own, 
iversity 
,  and  a 
\  estab- 
cal  col- 
ne  each 
imercial 
ccessful 
cademy 
rches  in 
5  public 
dt ;  6  of 
I  by  fine 
tie  shore 

>out  500 
n  centre, 
miles  of 
and  cop- 
ass  from 
and  con- 
d  by  the 
20  miles 
s  consid- 
t  import- 
commu- 

d  nights, 
g  nearly 
idences ; 
he  prop- 
mse,  cus- 
hurches, 
d  of  the 
,000,00c. 
rid.  The 
vo  years. 
of  the 


extensive  lumber  market  in  the  world  ;  its  trade  in  grain  and  flour  is  almost 
fabulous;  since  1854  it  has  been  the  largest  grain  depot  in  the  world.  Pork- 
packing  is  conducted  on  a  very  extensive  scale  ;  beef  in  large  quantities  is 
killed,  packf  d,  and  shipped  by  way  of  the  lakes  to  Europe.  The  great  cattle 
yards  were  opened  in  1858  ;  they  occupy  nearly  1,000  acres.  There  are  over 
100  newspapers  and  periodicals,  and  it  has  become  a  great  book  publishing 
centre.  Ship-building  is  conducted  to  a  considerable  extent.  Among  the 
manufactures  are  watches,  leather  and  leather  goods,  cotton,  agricultural  im- 
plements, boots  and  shoes,  iron,  flour,  high-wines,  etc.,  etc. 

The  water  supply  for  the  city  comes  from  Lake  Michigan,  and  is  conducted 
in  two  brick  tunnels,  one  7  feet  and  the  other  6  feet  in  diameter ;  the.se  exteyd 
2  miles  under  the  lake  and  meet  in  an  immense  inclosure,  where  the  water 
descends  into  them  through  a  grated  cylinder ;  one  of  these  was  completed 
in  1866,  and  the  other  in  1874.  The  cost  of  the  tunnels  under  the  lake  was 
$1,500,000;  the  water  works  up  to  the  present  time  cost  $10,416,000.  In 
addition  to  this  the  city  has  many  artesian  wells,  which  yield  a  large  supply  for 
the  stock-yards  and  the  West  Side  Park. 

The  city  has  a  multitude  of  benevolent  and  charitable  institutions  ;  includ- 
ing several  orphan  asylums,  dispensaries,  homes  for  the  aged,  indigent,  and 
friendless,  etc.,  etc.  The  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  has  been  very 
active  for  the  relief  of  the  poor  and  destitute,  and  did  good  service  at  the 
time  of  the  great  fire  ;  as  did  also  the  Chicago  Relief  and  Aid  Society,  which 
distribut'  1  the  vast  amount  of  money  contributed  for  the  sufferers. 

The  population  in  1835  was  1,000;  1840,  4,470;  1850,  28,260;  i860, 
150,000;  1870,298,977;  1880,503,304;  1886,630,000.  The  expenditures  for 
the  year  1884  were  $10,195,404,  being  $16.18 /^r  capita. 


CITIES  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES   HAVING  A  POPULATION 
OF  50,000  AND   UPWARDS,  CENSUS  OF    1880. 


cities  and  towns. 

populat'n 

CITIES  AND  towns. 

POPULAT'N 

CITIES  AND  TOWNS. 

POPULAT'S 

New  York,  N.  Y..  . . 
1  hiladelphia.  Pa.... 

Brooklyn,  N.  Y 

Chicago,  III 

Poston.  Mass 

1,206,590 
8^6,984 
566,689 
503,304 
362,53s 
350,522 
333,190 
355.708 
233,956 
216,140 
160,142 
156,381 

Buffalo,  N.  Y. 

Washington,  D.  C... 

Newark,  N.  J 

Louisville,  Ky..     . 
Jersey  City,  N.  J.  .. 

Dptroit,  Mich    

Milwaukee,  Wis 

Providence,  R.  I 

Albany,  N.  Y  

Rochester,  N.  Y 

Allegheny,  Pa 

Indianapolis,  Ind 

155.137 
147,307 
136,400 

123,64s 
120,738 
116,34a 
"5,578 
104,850 

90,903 
80,363 
78,681 
75.074 

Richmond,  Va 

New  Haven,  Conn  . . 

Lowell,  Mass 

Worcester,  Mass... 

Troy,  N.  Y 

Kansas  City,  Mo  . . 
Cambridge,  Mass... 

Syracuse,  N.  Y 

Columbus,  O     

Paterson,  N.  J 

Toledo,  O 

63,803 
63,882 
59,485 
58,295 

56,747 
55,813 
53,740 
51.791 
51,665 
50,887 
50,143 

St.  Louis,  Mo 

Baltimore,  Md 

Cincinnati,  O.* 

San  Francisco,  Cal.. 

New  Orleans,  La 

Cleveland.  O 

Pittsburgh,  Pa 

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V 


CITY  OF  DETROIT. 


'ETROIT,  the  chief  city  of  Michigan,  the  oldest 
city  by  far  in  the  west  of  the  United  States,  and 
older  than  either  Baltimore  or  Philadelphia  on  the 
seaboard,  was  founded  by  the  French  of  Canada 
in  1670,  as  an  outpost  for  the  prosecution  of  the  fur 
trade,  on  the  right  bank  of  the  river  of  its  own  name, 
about  18  miles  from  Lake  Erie  and  7  miles  from  Lake 
St.  Clair.  For  more  than  a  century  and  a  half,  however,  the 
advantages  of  its  position  were  rather  prospective  than  actual. 
The  settlement  of  the  adjacent  wildernesses  was  so  slowly  carried 
into  effect  that  Michigan,  of  which  Detroit  was  the  capital,  contin- 
ued to  be  a  subordinate  territory  from  1805  to  1837.  The  site  is 
sufficiently  elevated  above  the  river  to  afford  excellent  facilities 
for  drainage,  which  have  been  thoroughly  improved.  The  river, 
which  is  the  dividing  line  at  this  point  between  the  United  States 
and  Canada,  is  half  a  mile  wide  and  over  30  feet  deep,  forming 
the  best  harbor  on  the  lakes.  The  city  extends  6  or  7  miles  along  the  bank 
of  the  river,  and  from  2  to  3  miles  back  from  it.  The  river  front  is  lined  with 
warehouses,  mills,  foundries,  grain  elevators,  railway  stations,  ship-yards,  dry 
docks,  etc.,  the  signs  of  an  enterprising  and  thriving  community.  Fort  Wayne, 
a  mile  below,  commands  the  channel.  The  site  of  the  city  was  visited  by  the 
French  early  in  the  17th  century,  but  no  permanent  settlement  was  made  by 
them  until  1701.  Sixty-two  years  later,  in  1763,  at  the  close  of  the  war 
between  England  and  France,  it  fell  into  the  possession  of  the  English. 
Immediately  after  this  Pontiac,  the  great  Ottawa  chief,  made  a  desperate  but 
unsuccessful  effort  to  expel  the  whites  from  all  that  region.  In  1778  Detroit 
contained  only  300  inhabitants,  living  for  the  most  part  in  log  huts.  The 
British,  in  1778,  erected  a  fort,  which,  after  the  Americans  gained  possession, 
became  Fort  Shelby.  At  the  peace  of  1783,  Detroit  became  a  part  of  the 
United  States,  but  the  Americans  did  not  take  possession  until  thirteen  years 
later.  The  place  was  wholly  destroyed  by  fire  in  1 805,  and  two  years  afterward 
the  present  city  was  laid  out.  In  the  war  of  1812  it  was  surrendered  by  Gen- 
eral Hull  to  the  British,  but  recovered  by  the  Americans  after  the  battle  of 
Lake  Erie  In  1813.  It  was  incorporated  as  a  village  in  181 5,  as  a  city  in  1824. 
It  was  the  seat  of  government  of  the  Territory  of  Michigan  from  1805  to  1837, 
and  of  the  State  of  Michigan  from  the  latter  date  till  1 847.  The  streets  are  broad 
and  well  paved  and  lighted  ;  many  of  them  lined  with  beautiful  shade  trees.  The 
avenues  are  from  100  to  120  feet  wide.  Many  of  the  business  structures  are 
(86) 


CITY  OF    DETROIT. 


87 


large,  solid,  and  imposing,  and  there  are  many  elegant  and  costly  private  resi- 
dences. The  city  has  had  a  very  rapid  growth,  the  population  increasing  from 
770  in  1810,  to  116,340  in  1880,  and  133,269  in  1886.  The  principal  park  of 
Detroit  is  the  "  Grand  Circus,"  and  it  is  the  centre  from  which  the  principal 
avenues  radiate.  It  is  semicircular,  and  divided  by  Woodward  Avenue  into 
two  parts,  each  adorned  with  a  fountain.  The  "  Campus  Martius  "  is  a  plot 
of  ground  600  feet  long  and  250  feet  wide,  crossed  by  two  avenues.  Facing  it 
is  the  City  Hall,  a  fine  structure  of  sandstone,  200  feet  in  length  by  90  feet  in 
width,  which  cost  $6oo,cxxD.  In  front  of  the  City  Hall  is  a  monument  to  the 
soldiers  of  Michigan  who  fell  in  the  War  of  the  Rebellion  ;  and  facing  the 
Campus  Martius  on  the  north  is  an  opera  house,  a  large  and  fine  building. 
The  United  States  Custom-house  and  Post-ofifice,  a  large  building  of  stone,  is 
on  Griswold  Street.  The  largest  church  edifice  is  the  Roman  Catholic  Cathe- 
dral, but  there  are  several  of  other  denominations  which  are  fine  specimens  of 
architecture.  The  Roman  Catholic  Convent  of  the  Sacred  Heart  is  a  large 
and  handsome  structure.  The  Michigan  Central  freight  depot  is  1,250  feet 
long  and  102  feet  wide — a  single  room,  covered  by  a  self-supporting  roof  of 
iron  ;  and  near  it  stands  a  grain  elevator  with  cupola,  commanding  a  fine  pros- 
pect. The  House  of  Correction  is  also  a  very  handsome  building,  erected  at 
a  cost  of  $300,000,  with  a  capacity  for  450  inmates. 

T  cr  •  :ire  many  lines  of  steamers  with  elegant  boats  running  to  different 
points  Oi  <' e  la';es.  Eight  great  lines  of  railroad  centre  here.  The  large 
foreign  commerce  of  Detroit  is  almost  exclusively  with  the  adjoining  British 
possessions.  The  exports  mostly  consist  of  wheat,  oats,  corn,  hogs,  cotton, 
bacon,  lumber,  lard,  etc.  The  trade  in  lumber  is  simply  immense.  A  very  large 
trade  is  done  in  cattle.  There  are  numerous  foundries  and  blast-furnaces, 
copper-smelting  works,  locomotive  and  car  works,  safe  factories,  furniture 
establishments,  iron  bridge  works,  brick-yards,  flour-mills,  tanneries,  breweries, 
distilleries,  and  tobacco  and  cigar  factories. 

The  city  is  supplied  with  water  from  the  Detroit  River,  by  works  valued 
at  nearly  $1,250,000.  The  public  school  system  is  well  organized.  The 
Detroit  Medical  College  was  established  in  1868,  and  the  Homoeopathic  Col- 
lege in  1 87 1.  There  is  a  fine  public  library,  and  65  churches.  The  total 
appropriations  for  city  expenditures  for  1886  were  $1,527,771,  being  O11.46 
per  capita. 


I 


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are 


I 


CITY  OF  ST.  LOUIS. 


T.   LOUIS  is  the  chief  city  and  commercial  metropolis  of 
Missouri.     It  is  a  port  of  entry,  and  is  situated  on  the 
west  bank  of  the  Mississippi  River,  i8o  miles  above  the 
mouth  of  the  Ohio,  and  about  i,2CX)  miles  above   New 
Orleans,  and  i8  miles  below  the  confluence  of  the  Mis- 
souri.     It   is  connected  with   East   St.  Louis,  a  city  in 
Illinois,   by  a    magnificent    bridge   of    steel,  which    cost 
>io,ooo,ooo.     The  bridge  was  begun  in  1869  and  completed  in 
1874.     It  is  2,225  feet  long  by  54  feet  wide.     The  central  span 
is  the  longest  in  the  world,  being  520  feet,  and  60  feet  above  the 
water.     The  bridge  was  designed  by  Captain  James  B.  Eads. 

On  the  present  site  of  the  city  was  established,  in  1734,  a 
trading-post  with  the  Indians  ;  it  was  named  after  Louis  XV.  of 
France.  In  1764  it  was  the  depot  of  the  Louisiana  Indian  Trad- 
ing Company.  In  1768  it  was  taken  by  a  detachment  of  Span- 
ish troops.  In  1804  it  was  purchased  by  the  United  States  with 
the  whole  country  west  of  the  Mississippi,  at  which  time  its  population  was 
1,500,  and  its  yearly  fur  trade  amounted  to  over  $200,000.     In  1820  its  popu- 


THE    COURT-HOUSE. 


lation  was  less  than  5,000.  It  was  chartered  as  a  city  in  1822.  Its  first  news- 
paper was  started  in  1808,  and  its  first  bank  in  1816.  •  Cholera  appeared  in 
1832  and  again  in  1849,  from  which  the  city  suffered  much.    The  first  railroad 

(88)        ' 


CITY  OF  ST.   LOUIS. 


89 


commenced  its  business  in  1853.  A  large  portion  of  the  town  was  destroyed 
by  fire  in  1849  ;  after  this  substantial  buildings  were  erected  from  stone  quar- 
ried from  the  bank  of  the  river.  St.  Louis  under  a  special  act  of  the  Legis- 
lature is  exempt  from  county  government,  and  exists  entirely  distinct  as  a 
municipality.  St.  Louis  County  adjoins  the  city.  The  latter  is  regularly  built, 
and  has  fine  streets  which  cross  at  right  angles,  and  extends  about  14  miles 
along  the  river.  As  a  commercial  and  industrial  centre  it  ranks  among  the 
most  important  cities  of  the  Union.  It  is  only  exceeded  by  New  York  and 
Philadelphia  in  the  number  and  capital  employed  in  its  manufactures.  It  is  the 
centre  of  one  of  the  finest  agricultural  districts  in  this  country,  for  which  it  not 
only  affords  an  outlet,  but  is  also  a  centre  of  supply.  The  Mississippi,  with  its 
great  tributaries,  affords  many  thousands  of  miles  of  navigable  water,  while  nearly 
thirty  railroads  and  their  numerous  connections,  place  it  in  communication  with 
all  parts  of  the  country.  All  these  railroads,  except  one,  centre  in  the  same 
depot.  In  the  older  portions  of  the  city  near  the  river,  some  of  the  streets 
are  narrow  and  crooked. 
The  principal  streets  are 
Fourth  Street,  Grand  Av- 
enue, Olive  Street,  Main 
Street,  and  Second  Street. 
The  principal  retail  stores 
are  on  Fourth  Street,  which 
is  the  grand  promenade. 
The  finest  residences  are  on 
Grand  Avenue,  Lucas 
Place,  Pine,  Locust,  and 
Olive  Streets.  There  are 
two  fine  boulevards  for  driv- 
ing in  the  western  part  of 
the  city.  It  contains  nearly 
500  miles  of  paved  streets 

and  alleys.  The  total  area  of  square  miles  covered  by  the  city  is  62.  The 
numerous  public  parks,  which  are  very  beautiful,  cover  2,560  acres.  In  addi- 
tion to  these  there  are  many  fine  public  squares.  The  Fair  Grounds  contain 
halls  of  mechanical  and  industrial  exhibits  ;  a  zoological  garden,  claimed  to  be 
the  most  complete  in  the  world,  and  an  amphitheatre  with  seats  for  40,000 
people.     The  annual  fairs  are  held  in  October. 

St.  Louis  has  two  of  the  finest  cemeteries  in  the  country,  beautifully  laid 
out  and  adorned  with  trees  and  shrubbery.  It  has  a  vast  amount  of  manufac- 
tures, including  very  extensive  flour-mills,  sugar  refineries,  tobacco,  whiskey, 
hemp,  bale  rope  and  bagging,  oils  and  chemicals,  pork,  beef,  lard,  and  ham. 
Packing  is  done  on  a  very  extensive  scale,  and  employs  an  immense  capital, 
and  only  exceeded  by  the  amount  invested  in  the  manufacture  of  iron.  The 
best  flour  produced  in  the  world  is  made  in  St.  Louis,  and  is  largely  shipped 
to  Europe  ;  the  production  is  about  2,500,000  barrels  annually.    The  number 


THE     MERCANTILE    LIBRARY. 


"jmn,niUs«"»iniii7'. 


90    PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN   PROGRESS. 

of  hogs  packed  annually  is  about  600,000.  The  cotton  trade  amounts  annually 
to  about  500,000  bales.  The  machine-shops,  linseed  oil  factories,  provision 
packing-houses,  and  iron  foundries  are  very  extensive.  The  annual  products 
of  the  factories  are  valued  at  nearly  $275,000,000.     The  fur  trade  of  America 

centres  in  St.  Louis, 
and  the  traffic  in  agri- 
cultural produce  is 
simply  enormous, 
while  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  flour  it  stands 
unrivalled,  and  com- 
petes successfully  with 
the  markets  of  Eu- 
rope ;  it  is  also  cele- 
brated for  its  unsur- 
passable lager. 

Nearly  500  vessels 
belong  to  the  port, 
with  an  aggregate  ton- 
nage of  nearly  200,000. 
There  are  30  banks,  35 
insurance  companies, 
a  chamber  of  com- 
,     ,      ■  merce,    a   merchants* 

exchange,  a  mechanics'  and  manufacturers'  exchange,  a  board  of  trade,  a  cotton 
exchange,  and  a  mining  exchange.     The  principal  public  buildings  are  the  City 

Hall,  the  new 
Post-office,  and 
Custom-h  o  u  s  e , 
which  contains 
the  United 
States  Court 
Rooms,  and  cost 
about  $5,000,- 
000.  The  Court- 
house occupies 
an  entire  square. 
The  Great  Ex- 
po s  i  t  i  o  n  and 
Music  Hall,  is  a 
building  pro- 
nounced by  all  who  have  seen  it  to  be  far  superior  to  anything  of  the  kind  in 
this  country.  Other  buildings  worthy  of  note  are  the  Masonic  Temple,  the 
Columbia  Life  Insurance  building,  the  Mercantile  Library,  with  about  65,000 
volumes.    About  170  churches,  mostly  of  fine  architectural  appearance,  adorn 


THE    NEW    POST-OFFICE. 


CHAMBER    OF    COMMERCE. 


CITY  OF  ST.   LOUIS. 


91 


the  city.  Among  the  more  imposing  structures  are  the  Roman  Catholic  Cathe- 
dral, Christ  Church  (Episcopal),  and  the  First  Presbyterian  Church.  The  city 
contains  some  of  the  finest  hotels  in  the  country,  among  which  are  the 
Southern,  the  Lindell,  the  Laclede,  and  the  old  Planter's.  A  fire  in  1877 
destroyed  the  Southern  Hotel,  which  was  one  of  the  largest  and  finest  in 
the  city.  It  has  been  rebuilt,  and  now  occupies  twice  the  space  it  first 
covered.  The  charitable  institutions  are  very  numerous,  including  hospitals, 
asylums,  and  homes.  The  Institution  for  the  Blind,  which  is  controlled  by 
the  State,  has  facilities  for  200  pupils,  and  teaches  many  industries.  The 
Convent  of  the  Good  Shepherd  is  for  the  reformation  of  fallen  women. 
There  are  also  the  Deaf  and  Dumb  Asylum,  St.  Luke's  Hospital,  the  St. 
Louis  Hospital,  the  Emigrants'  Home,  the  Widows'  and  Infants'  Asylum,  the 


SOUTHERN     HOTEL. 

Insane  Asylum.  There  are  108  public  school  buildings,  occupied  by  over 
55,000  children  during  the  day,  and  6,000  pupils  at  night.  The  Washington 
University  includes,  in  addition  to  the  college  proper,  the  Polytechnic  Institute, 
the  Marcy  Institute  for  the  education  of  women,  the  School  of  Fine  Arts, 
the  Manual  Training  School,  and  the  Law  School.  The  Concordia  Institute 
(which  is  German  Lutheran)  includes  a  theological  college.  The  Catholics 
have  over  100  parochial,  private,  and  convent  schools,  among  which  are  the 
Academies  of  Loretto,  the  Visitation,  and  the  Sacred  Heart,  the  Ursuline 
Convent,  and  the  St.  Louis  University.  The  latter  is  under  the  control  of 
the  Society  of  Jesus,  and  has  a  large  and  valuable  library  and  museum. 
Prominent  among  the  other  Catholic  institutions  is  the  College  of  the  Chris- 
tian Brothers.  There  are  several  theatres  and  places  of  amusement,  and  a  fine 
opera  house.  The  assessed  value  of  real  and  personal  property  is  $2 1 2,ooo,oco. 
Population:  in  1820,  4,590;  i860,  151,780;  1870,  310,864;  1880,  350,522; 
1886,  400,000.     Yearly  city  expenditures,  $8,329,221.85. 


h 


CITY  OF   BALTIMORE. 


^«u 


•♦.•-  -I    I 


ALTIMORE  fs  a  magnificent  city  in  Maryland,  it  is 
situated  200  miles  from  the  Atlantic,  and  is  considered 
one  of  the  three  great  seaports  of  the  East ;  the  bay  is 
large  enough  and  of  a  suflficient  depth  to  accommodate 
the  largest  ships,  and  the  channels  in  the  river  have  been 
dredged  to  a  depth  of  24  feet  and  a  width  of  nearly  4CX3 
feet.  The  city  has  many  advantages,  especially  in  loca- 
tion, as  it  is  situated  at  the  most  northerly  extremity  of 
the  Chesapeake  Bay,  into  which  numerous  rivers  flow  after  passing 
through  the  fertile  districts  of  Maryland  and  Virginia.  The  city 
was  founded  in  1729.  In  January,  1730,  a  small  town  was  located 
north  of  Jones'  Falls,  and  named  Baltimore,  in  honor  of  Calvert, 
Lord  Baltimore.  At  the  same  period  William  Fell,  a  ship-builder, 
settled  at  Fell's  Point,  and  two  years  later  another  town  was  pro- 
jected and  named  after  David  Jones.  The  town  was  joined  to  Bal- 
timore in  1745,  dropping  its  name.  By  successive  unions  these  little 
settlements  passed  into  Baltiu'.ore,  and  in  1752  the  future  city  had 
about  two  dozen  houses  and  200  inhabitants.  In  1767  Baltimore 
was  made  the  county  seat.  In  1773  the  first  theatre,  newspaper,  and  stage 
line  to  New  York  and  Philadelphia  were  established.  The  city  is  divided  into 
two  nearly  equal  parts  by  "Jones'  Falls,"  a  rapid  stream,  which,  though 
troublesome  from  its  floods,  and  expensive  from  its  bridges,  supplies  immense 
water-power,  and  an  abundance  of  pure  water  for  domestic  use.  In  1776  the 
Continental  Congress  met  in  Baltimore  in  quarters  thus  described  by  John 
Adams :  "  The  congress  sit  in  the  last  house  at  the  west  end  of  Market  Street, 
on  the  south  side  of  the  street,  in  a  long  chamber,  with  two  fire-places,  two 
large  closets,  and  two  doors.  The  house  belongs  to  a  Quaker,  who  built  it  for 
a  tavern."  Though  Maryland  was  originally  a  Roman  Catholic  colony,  there 
came  to  Baltimore,  after  the  Revolution,  a  number  of  enterprising  Scotch- 
Irish  Protestants,*  whose  energy  and  means  were  of  great  value  to  the 
city.  In  1789  the  course  of  Jones'  Falls  was  changed,  and  the  original  bed 
filled  in.  In  1792  there  was  an  accession  to  the  population  of  many  refugees 
from  San  Domingo.  By  1796  Baltimore  was  made  a  city.  Baltimore  is  de- 
fended by  Fort  McHenry.  It  was  during  an  unsuccessful  bombardment  of  this 
fort  by  the  British  fleet,  in  1814,  that  Francis  Scott  Key,  an  American  prisoner 
on  one  of  the  English  ships,  composed  the  celebrated  "  Star-Spangled  Banner." 
During  the  Civil  War,  a  portion  of  the  6th  Mass.  and  7th  Penn.  regiments  were 
mobbed  while  passing  through  the  city,  and  in  the  contest  several  citizens  and 
soldiers  were  killed.  No  more  troops  were  sent  through  Baltimore  until  the 
city  was  put  under  military  rule.  Baltimore  is  on  undulating  ground,  and  it 
has  more  than  200  churches,  three  universities,  a  number  of  colleges.  Among 
the  commemorative  structures  which  have  gained  for  Baltimore  the  name  of 
th^  "  Monumental  City,"  the  most  interesting  is  an  elegant  obelisk,  erected  in 
(9a) 


CITY  OF  BALTIMORE. 


93 


1815,  to  the  memory  of  those  who  had  fallen  in  defending  the  town  against  the 
British.  The  Roman  Catholic  Cathedral  takes  the  lead  among  the  ecclesiasti- 
cal edifices  of  Baltimore.  It  is  a  massive  building  of  granite,  being  190  feet 
long,  177  broad,  and  127  high;  and  besides  one  of  the  largest  organs  in  the 
United  States,  it  contains  two  beautiful  paintings,  presented  by  Louis  XVI. 
and  Charles  X.  of  France. 

Baltimore's  water  communications  are  of  great  importance;  the  James 
River  affords  communication  with  Richmond,  Petersburg,  and  Lynchburg,  and 
the  waters  of  the  bay,  with  Norfolk ;  by  canal,  with  New  York  and  Philadel- 
phia ;  by  the  Potomac  River,  with  Washington  ;  by  canal  from  the  latter  place 
to  Cumberland,  the  district  in  which  the  collieries  of  the  State  are  located. 
Along  these  coasts  are  numerous  thriving  towns  and  many  well-tilled  farms, 
the  latter  sending  to  her  docks  at  times  over  ioo,CXX)  bushels  of  grain  a  day. 
The  city  is  much  nearer  to  the  interior  of  the  country  than  most  of  the  large 
cities  on  the  Atlantic  Coast.  Her  position  at  the  head  of  the  Chesapeake,  en- 
ables her  to  convey  freight  by  water,  which  is  a  greater  distance,  much  cheaper 
than  by  other  transportation.  Her  immediate  vicinity  to  the  coal  regions  en- 
ables steamers  to  get  their  supply  of  this  article  at  less  than  half  the  price  they 
could  get  it  in  New  York  or  Boston.  Steamers  crossing  the  Atlantic  can  save 
nearly  $2,000  in  this  way  on  a  single  trip,  as  they  generally  use  from  800  to 
1,000  tons  of  coal.  This  probably  explains  why  Baltimore  is  growing  in  favor 
as  the  great  outlet  of  the  West  as  well  as  of  the  interior,  and  as  a  distributing 
emporium  of  imports  for  the  same  localities.  The  vessels  belonging  to  the 
port  number  nearly  2,000;  tonnage,  about  150,000.  About  1,200  foreign  ships, 
1 50  foreign  ocean  steamers,  and  400  American  ships,  engaged  in  foreign  trade, 
enter  the  port  annually.  There  are  lines  to  various  parts  of  Europe.  The  city 
has  15  national  banks,  with  an  aggregate  capital  of  nearly  $12,000,000.  There 
are  also  several  private  banks  of  a  substantial  character.  It  is  one  of  the  greatest 
flour  markets  in  the  world.  The  trade  in  oysters  is  enormous.  About  12,000 
men  are  employed  in  packing  and  handling  oysters.  One  house  puts  up  over 
50,000  cans  of  raw  oysters  daily ;  and  there  are  nearly  50  large  establishments 
exclusively  engaged  in  packing.  Another  house  puts  up  over  35,000  cans  of 
cooked  oysters  daily.  Nearly  100  smaller  concerns  are  engaged  in  opening 
oysters.  After  the  oysters  are  all  canned  each  year,  the  canning  of  fruits  and 
vegetables — which  is  conducted  verj'  extensively — is  commenced,  of  which 
over  25,000,000  cans  are  packed  annually  and  sent  to  all  parts  of  the  civilized 
world,  even  to  Hindostan,  China,  and  Japan.  In  the  coffee  trade  Baltimore  is 
only  second  to  New  York,  the  sales  amounting  to  nearly  500,000  bags  annually ; 
the  bulk  of  this  is  imported  from  Brazil. 

Baltimore  is  one  of  the  great  centres  of  the  coal  trade ;  over  50,000  tons  are 
exported  annually.  There  are  about  20  mills  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
cotton  (shirtings,  cotton  duck,  and  sheetings),  and  it  has  been  estimated  that 
80  per  cent,  of  the  cotton  duck  produced  on  the  globe  is  made  in  these  mills. 
Nearly  100,000  bales  of  raw  cotton  are  exported  annually.  The  cattle  trade; 
of  Baltimore  is  conducted  on  a  very  extensive  scale,  as  is  also  its  lumber  trade. 


94     PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN  PROGRESS. 

about  40  large  houses  being  engaged  in  the  latter  industry.  The  export  trade 
in  lumber  is  at  the  present  time  nearly  five  million  feet  annially,  while  about 
sixty  million  feet  of  yellow  pine  are  used  annually  for  making  packing-boxes. 
The  city  is  the  nearest  seaport  to  the  oil  regions,  and  has  great  facilities  for 
refining  petroleum.  There  are  many  large  refineries.  The  export  trade  in  oil 
is  very  large,  amounting  at  times  to  50,000,000  gallons  annually.  Baltimore 
is  also  prominent  in  exporting  tobacco.  The  largest  iron  rolling  mills  in  the 
United  States  are  the  Abbot  Works.  The  city  is  surrounded  by  iron-ore  beds. 
One  railroad  iron  mill  can  turn  out  over  40,000  tons  of  finished  rails  annually. 
The  industry  in  copper  goods  is  very  extensive,  and  are  considered  equal  to 
any  on  the  coast.  A  very  extensive  business  is  done  in  marine  and  stationary 
steam-engines,  mill-gearing,  water-wheels,  pulleys  and  shafting,  hollow  ware, 
stones,  iron  work,  agricultural  implements,  etc.,  etc. 

Baltimore  has  gained  a  great  reputation  for  its  preparation  of  lard,  of  which 
it  exports  great  quantities.  Large  quantities  of  provisions  from  the  interior 
are  exported  to  foreign  ports.  The  shoe  and  leather  trade  is  of  j;  "at  import- 
ance, amounting  to  over  $25,000,000  annually.  Much  of  the  Icathci  is  exported 
to  England  and  Germany.  There  is  also  a  large  trade  in  sugar  and  molasses. 
Other  industries  are:  ship-building,  woolen  goods,  pottery,  sugar  refining,  dis- 
tilling, tanning,  saddlery,  etc.  About  10,000,000  bricks  are  made  and  sold  an- 
nually. 

Baltimore  possesses  many  charitable  and  beneficial  institutions,  among 
which  are  the  Maryland  Institution  for  the  Blind ;  the  Sheppard  Asylum  for 
the  Insane,  endowed  with  $1,000,000  by  Moses  Sheppard;  the  Pcabody  Insti- 
tution, which  received  over  $1,000,000  from  George  Pcabody;  the  Hopkins 
Hospital,  endowed  with  $2,000,000  by  Johns  Hopkins.  The  Johns  Hopkins 
University  is  magnificently  endowed,  giving  opportunity  for  post  graduate 
study  and  advanced  scientific  research.  There  are  about  125  public  schools, 
with  100,000  average  attendance.  The  finest  building  in  Baltimore  is  the  new 
City  Hall,  occupying  an  entire  square  of  more  than  half  an  acre,  355  feet  long, 
which  cost  $2,600,000.  The  Peabody  Institute  was  incorporated  in  1857.  It 
contains  a  library  of  56,000  volumes,  and  halls  for  lectures,  etc.  The  Custom- 
house is  a  fine  edifice,  225  by  141  feet.  On  the  four  sides  are  colonnades,  each 
column  being  a  single  block  of  Italian  marble.  The  new  Pratt  Library  seems 
to  meet  a  "long-felt  want."  Thus  far  about  1,600  books  a  day  have  been 
taken  out.  It  comprises  40,000  volumes,  distributed  from  one  central  point 
and  five  branches. 

Baltimore  is  supplied  with  water  from  Lake  Roland,  with  a  capacity  of  500,- 
000,000  gallons,  and  by  the  new  system  of  water  works,  the  grandest  in  the 
world,  200,000,000  gallons  per  day  ;  quantity  used,  27,000,000  per  day.  The 
city  can  boast  of  the  noblest  forest  park  in  the  United  States.  "  Druid  Hill" 
is  an  old  forest  which  was  previously  the  private  park  of  a  fine  estate.  It  con- 
tains over  600  acres,  acquired  by  the  city  in  i860.  It  adds  much  to  the  beauty 
of  the  city,  and  has  many  picturesque  walks  and  drives.  The  population  in 
j8oo,  was 25,514;  in  1830,80,620;  in  1840,  102,513;  in  1850,  169,547;  in  1870, 


CITY  OF   LOUISVILLE. 


95 


267,354;  in  1880,332,190;  and  in  1886,  estimated  at  425,000.  Population 
(taken  by  police)  May,  1882:  white,  348,900;  colored,  59,620,  and  85,600  in 
the  "  Belt"  around  the  city,  the  limits  not  having  been  extended  since  1817. 
The  annual  city  expenditure,  in  1886,  was  $4,106,447. 


CITY  OF  LOUISVILLE. 

OUISVILLE,  the  chief  city  of  Kentucky,  is  on  the  falls 
of  the  Ohio  River,  130  miles  below  Cincinnati.     It  is 
handsomely  built.     The  city  is  supplied  with  water 
from  the  Ohio,  by  artesian  wells,  one  of  which  has 
a  depth  of  2,086  feet,  a  three-inch  bore,  and  supplies 
330,000  gallons  of  water  in  24  hours,  which  rises  to  a 
height  of    170  feet.      The  Court-house  cost  $1,000,- 
000.     There  is  a  fine  custom-house,  jail,  a  marine  asy- 
lum, 10  orphan  asylums,  hospitals,  houses  of  refuge,  95  churches. 
Steamers  pass  over  the  rapids  of  the  Ohio  at  high  water,  but  at 
other  times  pass  through  a  canal  and  locks.     Population  :  in  1880, 
123,645,  and   in    1886  nearly  135,000.     It  was  named   Louisville 
(1780)  in  honor  of  Louis  XVI.  of  France,  whose  troops  were  then 
assisting  the  Americans  in  the  War  of  Independence. 

The  falls  or  rapids  of  the  Ohio  have  here  a  descent  of  27  feet, 
affording  a  fine  water-power.  A  number  of  railroads  connect 
Louisville  with  the  Northern  and  Southern  railroad  systems.  A 
bridge  crosses  the  river  at  the  head  of  the  falls,  having  27  spans,  and  a  total 
length  of  over 
5,000  feet,  and 
cost  over  $2,- 
000,000.  An 
important  in- 
dustry is  the 
sugar-curing 
of  hams,  and 
pork-packing. 
This  city  is 
also  one  of 
the  largest 
markets  for 
leaf-t  o  b  a  c  c  o 
in  the  world ; 
cigars  are 
made  in  great 
quantities. 

The  manufacture  of  whiskey  is  also  an  enormous  business.     Other  important 
manufactures  are  cement,  leather,  furniture,  iron  pipe,  etc. 


LOUISVILLE. 


CITY  or  CLEVELAND. 


LEVELAND,  next  to  Cincinnati,  is  the  most  commer- 
cial city  in  Ohio,  and  the  capital  of  Cuyahoga  County. 
It  is  situated  on  the  southern  shore  of  Lake  Erie,  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Cuyahoga  River.     The  harbor  is  one  of  the 
best  on  the  coast,  and  has  been  rendered  still  more  available 
by  extending  a  pier  on  either  side  into  deeper  water.     By 
means  of  this  secure  and  commodious  haven,  Cleveland, 
with  the  aid  of  artificial  works  in  both  directions,  has  navi- 
gable  communications  with  the  Atlantic  Ocean  on  the  one  hand,  and 
with  the  head  of  Lake  Superior  on  the  other.     It  is  celebrated  for 
its  ship-building,  and  is  becoming  rapidly  m.ore  and  more  important 
for  its  manufactures.     Magnificent  works  were  erected  at  a  cost 
of  about  $800,000,  to  supply  the  city  with  water  from  Lake  Erie  ; 
this  is  obtained  by  means  of  a  tunnel  under  the  lake.     The  city  has 
grown  to  its  present  dimensions  £rom  a  small  town,  which  was  set- 
tled in  1796  by  General  Moses  Cleaveland,  one  of  the  directors  of 
the  Connecticut  Land  Company,  after  whom  it  was  named.     It  is 

the  chief  port 
of  the  "  West- 
ern Reserve." 
It  is  divided 
into  two  parts, 
connected 
with  each 
other  by 
bridges  cross- 
ing the  Cuya- 
hoga  River, 
which  here 
empties  into 
the  lake.  One 
of  the  bridges 
is  2,000  feet 
in  length,  and 
built  of  solid  masonry,  costing  $2,500,000. 

The  principal  public  buildings  are  of  stone,  and  present  a  fine  appearance. 
The  United  States  building  contains  the  Custom-house,  Post-office,  and  rooms 
for  the  Federal  Courts.  The  County  Court-house  and  City  Hall  occupy  con- 
spicuous places,  and  are  well  adapted  to  their  several  uses.  The  House  of 
Correction  cost  $170,000.  The  Cleveland  Medical  College  is  an  imposing 
(96) 


CLEVELAND. 


CITY  OF  CLEVELAND. 


97 


structure.  The  Union  Railway  station  is  a  massive  structure  of  stone.  The 
high-schools  and  several  of  the  churches  are  very  handsome  structures.  There 
is  also  a  public  library,  and  several  other  libraries.  There  are  numerous  hos- 
pitals, orphan  asylums,  and  other  charitable  institutions,  besides  two  convents, 
a  Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  a  seminary  for  women  and  a  business 
college.  The  Catholic  people  have  1 1  academics  and  schools.  The  public 
schools  are  numerous  and  well  organized.  The  State  Law  College  has  a  fine 
library  and  many  students.  The  Cleveland  Medical  College  was  founded  in 
1843,  and  the  Ilomueopathic  Medical  College  in  1849. 

Cleveland  has  over  100  churches,  many  large  insurance  companies,  several 
fine  markets,  and  33  hotels.  It  is  the  centre  of  many  great  railroads,  and  the 
Ohio  Canal  connects  Lake  Erie  at  this  point  with  the  Ohio  River.  It  was  this 
canal,  completed  in  1834,  that  first  gave  a  great  impetus  to  the  commerce  of 
the  city.  Numerous  steamers  ply  between  Cleveland  and  all  other  ports  on 
the  lake.  The  manufacturing  industries  of  the  city  are  varied  and  extensive, 
and  increasing  with  great  rapidity.  They  embrace  iron,  coal,  refined  petro- 
leum, nail  manufactories,  copper  smelting,  sulphuric  acid,  wooden  ware,  agri- 
cultural implements,  sewing-machines,  railroad  cars,  marble,  white  lead,  etc. 
The  population  was  in  1830,  1,000  ;  1850,  17,034  ;  1870,  93,018  ;  1880,  159,404; 
1886,  227,000. 

The  city  is  lighted  by  electric  lights,  which  are  elevated  to  a  great  height. 
There  are  many  beautiful  cemeteries.  The  finest  part  of  the  city  is  on  a  sandy 
bluff  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  from  60  to  150  feet  above  the  lake.  The 
city  is  laid  out  mostly  in  squares,  the  principal  streets  being  from  80  to  120 
feet  wide,  and  one  having  a  width  of  132  feet.  Shade  trees  are  so  abundant 
that  the  place  is  properly  called  the  "  Forest  City."  Euclid  Avenue,  lined 
with  elegant  private  residences,  each  of  which  is  surrounded  with  ample 
grounds,  is  acknowledged  to  be  the  handsomest  st)eet  in  the  country.  Superior 
Street,  having  a  width  of  132  feet,  is  occupied  by  the  banks  and  the  principal 
retail  stores.  Monumental  Park,  in  the  centre  of  the  city,  with  an  area  of  ten 
acres,  as  originally  laid  out,  is  now  crossed  by  streets  at  right  angles,  and  so 
divided  into  four  smaller  squares,  beautifully  shaded  and  carefully  kept.  In 
one  of  these  squares  is  a  handsome  fountain,  in  another  a  pool  and  a  cascade, 
and  a  statue  of  Commodore  Perry,  the  hero  of  the  battle  of  Lake  Erie,  erected 
in  i860  at  a  cost  of  $8,000.  West  of  the  river  is  another  finely  shaded  park 
called  the  "  Circle,"  with  a  beautiful  fountain  in  the  centre. 

The  total  appropriation  for  city  expenditures  for  1886  was  $1,697,698. 


CITY  OF  INDIANAPOLIS.  ::, 

'NDIANAPOLIS,  the  capital  and  largest  city  of  Indiana, 
is  built  on  the  west  fork  of  White  River,  near  the  centre 
of  the  State,  lOO  miles  northwest  of  Cincinnati.  It  is  situ- 
ated in  the  vicinity  of  an  extensive  coal  region.  Its  man- 
ufactures and  commerce  are  very  important  and  exten- 
sive. Thirteen  lines  of  railroad  connect  the  city  with 
all  parts  of  the  country.  It  is  a  regularly  built  and  beau- 
tiful city,  with  a  handsome  State-house,  court-house,  jail, 
and  State  asylums  for  the  blind,  deaf  and  dumb,  and  insane  ;  has  a 
university,  two  female  colleges,  and  eight  banks. 

Indianapolis  became  the  seat  of  government  in  1820,  and  in  1824 
became  the  capital  of  the  State.  The  city  was  incorporated  in 
1836.  The  streets  ar6  broad,  and  run  at  right  angles.  Nine 
bridges  cross  the  river,  three  of  which  are  for  railroads.  There  are 
numerous  street  railroads,  including  a  belt-line  around  the  city. 
Seven  parks,  one  of  which  contains  over  100  acres,  add  much  to 
the  beauty  of  the  city. 
Pork-packing  is  carried  on  extensively.  There  are  a  number  of  large  flour- 
mills,  grain  elevators,  iron  rolling-mills,  foundries,  machine-shops,  car  works, 
sewing-machine  shops,  and  factories  for  the  manufacture  of  agricultural  imple- 
ments, furniture,  pianos,  organs,  carriages,  cotton  and  woolen  goods,  etc.,  etc. 
There  are  nearly  50  incorporated  manufacturing  institutions,  with  a  large 
aggregate  capital.  About  90  churches  adorn  the  city  ;  also  a  Roman  Catholic 
theological  seminary,  an  art  school,  a  city  hospital,  an  academy  of  music,  a  State 
library  with  25,000  volumes,  and  a  free  city  library  with  about  20,000  vol- 
umes. The  new  State  House  cost  $2,000,000.  The  public  schools  are  mainly 
supported  by  the  State  school  fund  of  $8,000,000.  The  Court-house  is  a 
splendid  structure.  Among  the  other  fine  buildings  may  be  mentioned  the 
Exposition  Building,  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  the  Union  Depot,  the  Ma- 
sonic and  Oddfellows'  Halls,  the  United  States  Arsenal,  and  numerous  fine, 
massive  blocks  of  buildings.  The  best  private  residences  are  surrounded  by 
fine  lawns  and  gardens.  This  city  was  the  home  of  the  late  Vice-President 
Hendricks.  The  contract  for  the  State  House  was  made  under  very  favorable 
circumstances  ten  years  ago,  at  $2,000,000,  and  drawn  in  such  a  way  that  no 
extras  have  been  permitted  ;  it  will,  therefore,  not  exceed  the  original  contract 
price.     It  would  cost  fully  $3,000,000  if  contracted  for  at  the  present  time. 

Indiana  has  no  mountains,  and  over  two-thirds  of  its  surface  is  level  or 
undulating.  It  has  but  one  port,  Michigan  City,  on  Lake  Michigan,  and  no 
direct  foreign  commerce.  Its  internal  trade  is  of  vast  extent,  its  rivers,  canals, 
and  railroads  being  numerous  and  of  great  importance.  The  population  of 
Indianapolis  in  1840  was  2,692  :  in  1870,  48,244  ;  in  1880,  76,200;  and  in  1886 
it  is  estimated  to  be  100,000. 
(98) 


n 


|U     mi'iwmw'f^^T''!^f 


CITY  OF  CINCINNATI. 


INCINNATI  is  the  chief  commercial  city  of  Ohio ;  it  is 
situated  on  the  north  or  right  bank  of  the  Ohio  River, 
1 20  miles  from  Columbus,  the  capital  of  the  State  ;  458 
miles  below  Pittsburgh,  where  the  Ohio  is  formed  by  the 
junction  of  the  Monongahela  and  Alleghany  Rivers,  and 
5CXD  miles  above  the  junction  of  the  Ohio  and  the  Missis- 
sippi Rivers.  It  is  340  miles  east  of  St.  Louis,  280  miles 
southeast  of  Chicago,  and  610  miles  from  Washington.  On  the 
opposite  side  of  the  Ohio,  in  Kentucky,  are  two  cities — Covington, 
which  is  the  most  important,  has  a  population  of  28,542 ;  and  New- 
port, with  a  population  of  18,412.  Cincinnati,  which  is  the  county 
seat  of  Hamilton  County,  has  communications  by  numerous  steam 
ferries,  besides  two  bridges,  with  these  cities.  The  city  occupies 
24  square  miles,  and  extends  along  the  fiver  10  miles,  and  is  about 
3  miles  wide.  It  has  a  fine,  substantial  appearance,  and  is  noted 
for  the  architectural  beauty  of  its  public  buildings.  Its  fine  broad 
streets  and  avenues  remind  one  of  Philadelphia ;  they  are  well  paved,  and 
in  some  instances  lined  with  shade  trees.  The  principal  part  of  the  city 
lies  between  Deer  Creek  on  the  east  and  Mill  Creek  on  the  west,  which  are 
nearly  3  miles  apart  where  they  flow  into  the  Ohio.  A  few  settlers  from 
New  Jersey  first  located  on  this  site  in  1789.  In  1800  the  population  only 
amounted  to  750  ;  its  development  being  greatly  retarded  by  the  Indians,  who 
rendered  navigation  on  the  Ohio  very  dangerous. 

Its  ecclesiastical,  literary,  and  commercial  edifices  are  as  numerous  as  befits 
the  acknowledged  Queen  of  the  West.  The  city  occupies  chiefly  two  terraces, 
which  are  elevated  respectively  50  and  108  feet  above  the  level  of  the  river. 
The  water  of  the  Ohio  has  been  lifted  up  into  an  immense  reservoir,  at  an 
expense  of  about  $i,8oo,cxx>.  A  large  suspension  bridge,  100  feet  above  low 
water,  connects  the  city  with  Covington,  Ky.  Its  entire  length  is  2,252  feet ; 
the  principal  span  is  1,057  f^^t ;  this  was  designed  by  John  A.  Roebling,  and 
cost  nearly  $2,000,000 ;  it  was  completed  in  1867.  Another  bridge  connects 
the  city  with  Newport,  Ky. 

Cincinnati  is  the  centre  of  a  great  network  of  railroads,  and  is  connected 
with  a  vast  region  of  territory  by  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  and  their  connec- 
tions ;  while  the  Miami  Canal  connects  it  with  Lake  Erie,  and  a  branch  con- 
nects the  Miami  with  the  Wabash  and  Erie  Canal,  which  is  the  longest  canal 
in  the  Union  (374  miles) ;  this  canal  extends  from  Toledo  to  Evansville,  Ind., 
on  the  Ohio  River. 

The  city  was  incorporated  in  18 14,  and  since  that  time  has  made  steady 
progress.  Thirteen  companies  use  seven  railroads,  which  enter  the  city  ;  two 
others  have  their  terminus  at  Covington,  on  the  other  side  of  the  river. 
Nearly  400  passenger  and  freight  trains  arrive  and  leave  daily.  There  are 
four  depots  near  the  river  in  different  parts  of  the  city.     Nearly  twenty  lines 

(99) 


"^  H^J'  *K>^  ••  "."11  f  "•■  ■ 


100  PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN   PROGRESS. 

of  street  railroads  cross  the  city  in  all  directions.  An  incline  steam-passenger 
railway  affords  communication  with  the  top  of  the  adjacent  hills.  Vineyards 
and  gardens  abound  in  the  suburbs. 

Previous  to  and  during  the  War  the  Slavery  question  created  intense 
excitement.  Social  and  vast  commercial  relations  of  the  city  with  the  South 
brought  it  in  sympathy  with  the  Slave  States.  Several  attempts  were  made 
to  establish  an  anti-slavery  paper  in  the  city,  but  without  success,  as  it  was 
always  destroyed  by  a  mob,  who  were  sustained  by  prominent  citizens ;  and 


THIRD    STREET. 

in  1862,  when  a  Confederate  force  was  expected  to  attack  the  city,  it  was  found 
necessary  to  place  it  under  martial  law.  Many  of  the  leading  families  furnished 
men  and  money  for  the  Southern  cause  ;  but  the  great  masses  of  the  people, 
especially  the  Germans,  were  patriotic,  and  identified  themselves  with  the  North. 
In  the  suburbs  of  the  city  are  many  fine,  costly  residences,  surrounded 
with  beautiful  lawns,  laid  out  with  shrubs  and  trees.  The  scenery  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  city  is  very  attractive  ;  there  are  numerous  parks  and 
public  grounds.  Among  the  public  buildings  are  the  United  States  Govern- 
ment building,  containing  the  Custom-house,  Post-office,  Court-rooms,  etc. 
The  County  Court-house  cost  nearly  $500,000,  and  with  the  County  Jail  occu- 
pies an  entire  square.    The  City  Hospital  occupies  a  square,  containing  nearly 


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1 


CITY  OF   CINCINNATI. 


lOI 


4  acres  ;  the  buildings  and  land  are  valued  at  $1,000,000.  The  Public  Library 
cost  about  $700,000,  which  was  raised  by  taxation.  Pike's  Opera  House  is  a 
very  imposing  edifice,  134  by  170  feet.  The  Masonic  Temple  is  195  by  100 
feet,  and  4  stories  high.  Mozart's  Hall  has  seating  accommodations  for  3,000 
people.  Longview  Asylum  for  the  Insane,  situated  outside  of  the  city,  is  612 
feet  long;  the  property  is  valued  at  over  $1,000,000.  There  are  also  St. 
Xavier's  College,  which  is  governed  by  the  Jesuits ;  Lane  Theological  Sem- 
inary (Presbyterian),  organized  in  1829,  with  an  endowment  of  $200,000.  The 
Catholics  support  over  100  parochial  schools.    There  are  in  all  6  medical  col- 


FOURTH    STREET. 

leges,  5  literary  colleges,  one  college  of  dentistry,  several  commercial  colleges, 
a  university,  and  a  law  school.  In  1842  the  Wesleyan  College  for  women  was 
founded.  There  are  nearly  200  churches ;  the  finest  of  which  is  St.  Peter's 
Cathedral  (Catholic) ;  it  is  180  by  90  feet,  with  a  fine  stone  spire  224  feet  high. 
The  Tyler  Davidson  Fountain  is  a  fine  work  of  art ;  it  cost  $200,000,  and  was 
presented  to  the  city  in  18/1. 

Wine  is  made  in  the  neighborhood  to  a  great  extent.  The  city  itself  also 
is  largely  engaged  in  a  variety  of  important  manufactures,  hundreds  of  steam- 
engines  being  employed  in  the  different  establishments.  The  manufactories  in- 
clude iron-foundries,  rolling-mills,  lard,  oil,  and  stearine  factories ;  and  countless 


n-'i.m^iF.i I |i,>jwu ■  i|^<i<>i.w>«TJ  w> ■Wiii«i!|IU'fim 


102  PICTURESQUE   SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN   PROGRESS. 


works  connected  with  flour,  clothing,  furniture,  paper,  printing,  tobacco,  soap, 
candles,  hats,  etc.  The  total  value  of  manufactured  goods  in  one  year  amounted 
to  nearly  $i70,cxxD,0C)0.  The  Board  of  Trade  has  nearly  i,ooo  members.  The 
Merchants'  Exchange  and  Chamber  of  Commerce  has  about  1,200  members. 
Six  National  banks  have  a  capital  of  nearly  $5,000,000,  and  17  other  banks 
nearly  $3,000,000.  An  annual  Industrial  Exhibition  has  been  held  in  Cincin- 
nati in  the  fall  of  each  year  since  1871  :  the  buildings  occupy  3^  acres  of  ground- 

A  canal  completed  in  1872  around  the  falls  of  the  Ohio,  at  Louisville, 
enables  the  largest  steamboats  on  the  Mississippi  to  reach  Cincinnati.  The 
imports  in  one  year  amounted  to  $223,237,157,  and  exports  $186,209,646.  By 
act  of  Congress  in  1870,  foreign  merchandise  may  arrive  in  Cincinnati  without 
appraisement  or  payment  of  duties  at  any  port  where  it  may  first  arrive. 

At  one  time  Cincinnati  was  the.  great  centre  in  the  United  States  for  the 
pork  trade,  but  since  1863  Chicago  has  held  first  rank.  At  the  present  time 
Cincinnati  has  about  60  establishments  for  the  slaughtering  of  swine  and  the 
packing  of  pork  ;  the  yards  for  the  reception  of  live  hogs  occupy  about  60  acres. 
In  one  year  793,863  hogs,  142,851  cattle,  and  274,027  sheep  were  received. 

The  celebrated  lager-beer  of  Cincinnati  has  gained  a  reputation,  not  only 
in  the  United  States,  but  abroad.  The  malt  liquors  manufactured  in  one  year 
amounted  to  nearly  6,000,000  barrels,  which  consumed  about  1,500,000  bushels 
of  malt,  1,250,000  pounds  of  hops,  700,000  pounds  of  rice,  over  6,000,000 
bushels  of  coal,  over  3,500,000  bushels  of  coke,  and  used  up  60,000  tons  of 
ice.  Whiskey  is  made  on  a  very  extensive  scale  ;  the  returns  of  rectified 
spirits  for  one  year  amount  to  nearly  13,000,000  gallons. 

The  tobacco  and  cigar  trade  is  of  great  extent  and  value.  In  one  year  the 
sales  of  tobacco  amounted  to  over  40,000  hogsheads;  and  the  number  of 
cigars  made  in  Cincinnati,  Covington,  and  Newport,  was  over  100,000,000. 
Nearly  2,000,000  cigarettes  were  made  in  the  same  year.  And  the  production 
of  fine-cut  (chewing)  and  plug  tobacco  was  nearly  5,000,000  pounds ;  while  the 
smoking  tobacco  amounted  to  over  2,000,000  pounds. 

Fine  candles  are  made  in  Cincinnati,  and  are  largely  disposed  of  in  foreign 
countries  ;  the  shipments  for  one  year  were  nearly  250,000  boxes.  The  manu- 
facture of  soap  is  very  extensive  ;  the  total  shipments  in  one  year  amounted 
to  over  366,000  boxes.  It  was  here  that  soap  made  from  cotton-seed  oil  was 
first  manufactured.  The  manufacture  of  starch  has  gained  for  the  city  a  great 
reputation  ;  the  shipments  for  one  year  amounted  to  nearly  5,000,000  boxes  ; 
it  is  sold  not  only  in  the  United  States,  but  in  nearly  all  parts  of  the  world, 
including  Mexico  and  .South  America.  Furniture  forms  an  important  part  of 
the  manuff  s.     The  manufacture  of  boots  and  shoes  is  constantly  increas- 

ing, and  tl  '  ijoing  trade  in  this  line  is  very  extensive  ;  the  shipments  in  one 
year  amounted  to  about  100,000  cases. 

Cincinnati  is  one  of  the  great  grain  warehouses  for  the  South ;  the  receipts 
for  one  year  amounted  to  about  12,000,000  bushels.  Boat-building,  including 
steamboats  and  ferry-boats,  gives  employment  to  a  large  number  of  workmen. 

The  population  in  1820  was  9,602;  in  1840,46,338;  in  1850,  115,438;  in 


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":*^ai^^y.'f\"  "^'  ^w 


CITY   OF  MILWAUKEE.  103 

i860,  161,000;   in  1870,  216,289;  i"  1880,  255,708;   in  1886,  275,000.    The 
yearly  expenditures  of  the  city  are  $3,922,933,  being  $14.52 /^r  capita. 


1 


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I 


CITY  OF  MILWAUKEE. 


UI^-'ILWAUKEE  is  the  most  important  city  and  port  of 
entry  of  Wisconsin.     It  is  situated  on  the  western 
shore  of  Lake  Michigan,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Mil- 
waukee River,  which  enters  the  lake  from  the  north, 
and  flows  through  the  city.  The  Menomonce  River 
joins  the  Milwaukee  near  its  mouth.     The  bay  is 
6  miles  long  by  3  miles  wide.     The  city  is  84 
miles  north  by  west  of  Chicago,  and  87  miles  east 
of  Madison,  which  is  the  capital  of  the  State.     The  harbor  is 
one  of  the  best  on  the  lakes,  and  has  been  much  improved 
by  the  Government.     The  city  is  very  handsome,  and  is  built 


of  yellow  or  cream, 
colored  brie  ks 
made  in  the  vicin- 
ity, and  from  which 
it  has  derived  the 
name  of  the 
"  Cream  City  of 
the  Lakes."  The 
streets  are  regular, 
the  centre  and 
most  level  parts  of 
the  city  being  de- 
voted to  business.  The  residences  crown  a  high  bluff,  and  give  the  city  a  very 
picturesque  appearance  when  viewed  from  the  lake.  Its  first  white  settler  was 
a  Frenchman,  whose  name  was  Juneau,  who  located  there  in  1818,  and  engaged 
in  the  fur  trade,  and  finally  became  Mayor  of  the  city,  which  was  incorporated 
in  1846.  The  city  has  a  fine  sewerage  system,  and  is  furnished  by  the  lake 
with  water. 

It  is  connected  with  all  parts  of  the  country  by  railroads.     In  1870,  Mil- 
waukee claimed  the  rank  of  fourth  city  in  the  Union  in  marine  commerce. 


MILWAUKEE    IN     i860. 


I04  PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN   PROGRESS. 


This  position  it  has  since  lost  by  the  rapid  and  extraordinary  development  of 
other  cities.  Copper  and  iron  mines  within  50  miles  of  the  city  have  done 
much  towards  making  her  a  great  manufacturing  centre. 

Among  the  fine  public  buildings  are  the  Post-office  and  Custom-house, 
which  is  built  with  marble,  and  in  which  are  the  United  States  Courts.  The 
County  Court-house  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  more  than  $400,000.  The 
receipts  and  shipments  by  rail  and  water  are  immense  and  of  great  value. 
The  most  important  items  of  merchandise  are  wheat  and  flour.  The  immense 
agricultural  products  of  the  three  great  States  of  Wisconsin,  Iowa,  and  Min- 
nesota are  shipped  from  its  port.  Pork-packing  is  conducted  on  a  very  exten- 
sive scale,  and  the  city  is  celebrated  for  its  lager-beer,  which  finds  a  market 
in  nearly  all  parts  of  the  Union.  About  $4,000,000  is  invested  in  this  branch 
of  industry. 

There  arc  vast  iron  and  rolling  mills,  which  employ  nearly  3,000  men,  and 
have  a  capital  of  nearly  $5,000,000.  There  are  six  immense  elevators,  with  a 
total  capacity  of  nearly  6,000,000  bushels,  one  of  which  is  claimed  to  be  the 
largest  in  the  Union,  having  a  capacity  of  1,500,000  bushels.  One  of  the 
largest  flour-mills  has  a  daily  capacity  of  1,000  barrels.  The  leather  factories 
are  very  extensive,  the  total  capital  being  nearly  $2,000,000.  Among  the 
goods  manufactured  are  the  following :  agricultural  implements,  machinery, 
pig-iron,  iron  castings,  steam-boilers,  car  wheels,  woolen  cloth,  carriages, 
wagons,  barrels,  furniture,  sashes  and  blinds,  boots  and  shoes,  tobacco  and 
cigars,  white  lead,  paper,  soap  and  candles,  iron  castings,  leather,  malt,  high- 
wines,  brooms,  etc. 

It  has  a  large  number  of  educational  institutions,  comprising  acade- 
mies, public  and  private  schools,  and  an  Industrial  School,  several  orphan 
asylums  and  hospitals,  a  College  for  Women,  a  monastery  and  Franciscan  Col- 
lege, a  public  art  gallery,  a  public  library  and  a  German  library  and  public 
museum.  There  are  75  churches,  2  cathedrals  (i  Episcopal  and  i  Catholic), 
about  20  banks,  several  insurance  companies  and  theatres.  The  Government 
asylum  for  invalid  soldiers  is  situated  two  or  three  miles  from  the  city. 

The  population,  which  largely  consists  of  Germans  and  other  national- 
ities, was,  in  i860,  45,000;  in  1870,  71,000;  in  1880,  115,570;  and  in  1886, 
158,509.  City  expenditures  in  1884,  $1,438,976;  per  capita,  $9.07.  The  sur- 
rounding country  is  of  great  fertility,  and  as  a  manufacturing  centre  it  has 
great  advantages. 


1 


CITY  OF  PITTSBURGH. 


ITTSBURGH  is  the  second  city  in  population  and  im- 
portance  in   Pennsylvania,  a  port  of   entry,  and  the 
county  seat  of  Allegheny  County.     It  is  situated  at 
the  junction  of  the  Monongahela  and  Alleghany  Riv- 
ers, where  they  form  the  Ohio,  which   at  this   point 
is  a  quarter  of  a  mile  wide.     The  city  is  356  miles  from 
Philadelphia,  245  miles  from  Harrisburgh,  which  is  the 
capital  of  the  State,  and  227  miles  from  Washington. 
The  distance  from  New  Orleans  by  the  river  is  2.040  miles.    Some 
of  the  richest  deposits  of  coal  and  iron  in  America  are  to  be  found 
in  the  vicinity.     The  city  has   nearly  200   iron   establishments, 
about  75  iron  foundries,  50  iron  and  steel  works,  and  over  600 
furnaces.     There  are  vast  machine-shops ;    the  manufacture  of 
steam  boilers,  engines,  etc.,  is  very  extensive.     There  are  about 
56  glass  manufacturing  establishmonts,  the  products  of  which  are 
about  $12,000,000  annually.     The  trade  in  crude  and  refined  oil 
is  enormous ;  nearly  3,000,000  barrels  of  crude  oil  are  received 
annually,  and  about  2,500,000  barrels  of  refined  oil  shipped.     Large  quantities 


DEPOT. 


of  coke  are  purchased,  averaging  more  than  1,000,000  tons  a  year.  The  iron 
manufactures  amount  annually  to  about  $50,000,000  ;  the  total  amount  of  pig 
metal  consumed  is  about  7,000,000  tons  annually,  being  nearly  one-quarter  of 

(105) 


io6   PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN  PROGRESS. 


the  total  produced  in  the  Union.  There  are  large  copper-smelting  works,  22 
rolling-mills,  numerous  cotton-mills,  and  white  lead  factories.  The  best  quali- 
ties of  English  steel  are  surpassed  by  several  large  steel  works,  seven  of  which 
produce  about  35,000  tons  annually.  The  products  of  several  copper  manu- 
facturing establishments  amount  to  $4,000,000  annually.  Vast  quantities  of 
coal  are  produced  in  nearly  200  collieries  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  city. 

Pittsburgh  is  the  great  manufacturing  city  of  America.  The  immense 
foundries  and  factories  fill  the  air  with  smoke,  and  hence  it  has  derived  the 
names  of  "  the  Smoky  City,"  and  "  the  Iron  City."  It  has  often  been  com- 
pared to  Birmingham,  England.     The  first  glass  manufactured  in  Pittsburgh 

was  in  1796.  The  first  at- 
tempt at  making  steel  was 
in  1828,  and  for  several  years 
only  the  lowest  grade  was 
produced.  The  manufacture 
of  cast  steel  for  edge-tools  was 
commenced  in  i860.  The 
first  rolling-mill  was  built  in 
1 8 1 2,  and  the  first  iron  foundry 
in  1 804 ;  from  the  latter  can- 
non were  cast  and  supplied 
for  the  fleet  on  Lake  Erie 
and  for  the  defence  of  New 
Orleans. 

Pittsburgh  occupies  the 
site  of  the  old  French  Fort 
Duquesne.  In  1754  a  por- 
tion of  its  present  territory 
was  occupied  h'^  the  English, 
and  a  stockade  fort  was  built 
at  the  confluence  of  the  rivers.  After  many  struggles  with  the  French  and 
Indians,  in  which  the  British  General  Braddock  was  defeated,  it  was 
finally  taken  by  General  Forbes  in  1758,  and  a  permanent  foothold  estab- 
lished. The  place  became  a  permanent  trading-post  in  1759.  A  new  fort 
was  eventually  erected,  and  named  Fort  Pitt,  in  honor  of  William  Pitt,  then 
Prime  Minister  of  England,  the  name  changing  finally  to  Pittsburgh.  In  17/4 
the  place  was  surveyed  and  laid  out  by  descendants  of  William  Penn.  It  was 
incorporated  as  a  city  in  18 16.  At  that  time  its  limits  were  confined  to  a 
peninsula  between  the  rivers ;  it  now  extends  over  the  adjoining  hills,  and 
seven  or  eight  miles  up  both  rivers.  In  1845  Jt  was  nearly  destroyed  by  fire. 
Its  appearance  is  that  of  a  solid  and  substantial  city.  The  eastern  part  is 
devoted  to  fine  residences.  Most  of  the  streets  are  paved.  Besides  its  vast 
manufacturing  interests,  Pittsburgh  has  a  great  traffic  over  the  three  rivers, 
which  gives  it  an  outlet  to  the  Mississippi  River,  its  tributaries,  and  the 
gulf  coast,  while  canals  connect  it  with  Philadelphia,  and,  by  way  of  Cleveland, 
with  the  lakes.    It  is  a  port  of  delivery  in  the  New  Orleans  district. 


THE    COURT-HOUSE 


i 


CITY   OF   PITTSBURGH. 


107 


Among  the  principal  railroads  are  the  Pennsylvania,  the  Alleghany  Valley, 
and  the  Pittsburgh,  Washington,  and  Baltimore,  which  connect  Pittsburgh 
with  nearly  every  part  of  Pennsylvania  and  the  East.  The  Pittsburgh,  Fort 
Wayne,  and  Chicago  Railroad  and  connecting  lines  give  communication  to  the 
West  and  Northwest,  while  the  Pittsburgh,  Cincinnati,  and  St.  Louis  Rail- 
road connects  the  South  and  Southwest. 

The  public  buildings  include  a  fine  Court-house,  the  Western  State  Peni- 
tentiary, the  United  States  Arsenal,  etc.  The  city  has  very  efficient  police 
and  fire  departments. 

There  are  50  banks  and  a  large  number  of  insurance  companies  ;  75  schools, 
including  a  high-school.  Among  the  colleges  are  the  Western  University  of 
Pennsylvania  and  the  Pittsburgh  Female  College  (Methodist).  There  are  over 
40  newspapers,  of  which  10 are  dailies;  and  one  hundred  and  twenty  churches. 
Among  the  ecclesiastical  buildings  is  a  fine  large  Roman  Catholic  Cathedral. 
The  rivers  are  spanned  by  numerous  fine  bridges. 

Pittsburgh  has  rapidly  increased  in  population  and  manufactures.  The 
majority  of  the  population  is  of  foreign  birth  ;  mostly  Irish,  German,  and  Eng- 
lish. The  population  in  1788  was  480;  in  1800,  1,560;  in  1840,21,000;  in 
1S60,  79,000;  in  1870,  121,799;  '"  1880,  156,389  (the  annexation  of  adjoining 
boroughs  caused  much  of  this  increase);  in  1886,  175,000.  The  city  of  Alle- 
ghany, with  its  population  of  85,000  in  1886,  is  on  the  other  side  of  the  river, 
and  as  it  is  in  fact  a  portion  of  Pittsburgh,  except  in  its  municipal  govern- 
ment, it  should  be  added  to  these  figures,  making  the  total  population  of  Pitts- 
burgh in  1886,  260,000. 

Seven  bridges  span  the  Alleghany  River,  and  not  only  connect  the  two 
cities,  but  are  practically  continuous  streets  traversed  by  horse-cars,  as  in  cities 
where  no  rivers  exist.  Five  bridges  span  the  Monongahela,  and  give  an  out- 
let to  the  suburbs  of  Pittsburgh  in  that  direction.  Large  steamboats  run  on 
the  Ohio  from  Pittsburgh  to  Cincinnati  and  many  other  points,  and  great 
facilities  are  afforded  for  the  reception  of  mineral  oil,  iron,  coal,  lumber, 
etc.,  etc.,  by  the  Monongahela  and  Alleghany  Rivers.  Over  200  large  steam- 
ers belong  to  the  port,  and  600  or  700  barges,  with  a  total  tonnage  of  nearly 
200,000. 

The  figures  showing  the  production  of  pig-iron  indicate  that  the  Southern 
States  are  forging  to  the  front,  although  Pennsylvania  still  holds  an  easy 
lead,  having  produced  last  year  2,445,496  tons  of  the  entire  4,529,869  tons 
produced  in  this  country.  Ohio  comes  next  in  the  list  of  iron-producing  States 
with  553,963  tons  ;  Illinois  third  with  327,977  tons  ;  and  Alabama  fourth  with 
227,438  tons.  The  next  highest  producing  States  are  Virginia,  Tennessee, 
New  York,  and  Michigan,  in  the  order  named.  While  recognizing  that  the 
South  is  making  rapid  advances,  Pennsylvania,  with  its  abundant  coal  and 
its  newly  utilized  store  of  natural  gas,  is  sure,  however,  to  be  the  great  pig- 
iron  centre  for  an  indefinite  period.  The  fuel  and  ore  anci  the  market  are 
so  conveniently  near  each  other  in  the  Keystone  State  that  no  probable  com- 
petitors are  seriously  to  be  feared. 


CITY  OF  ST.  PAUL. 


■ll 


||T.  PAUL  is  the  capital  of  Minnesota.  It  is  a  thriving 
commercial  city  and  port  of  entry,  situated  on  both 
banks  of  the  Mississippi  River,  9  miles  east  of  Minneapo- 
lis, 400  miles  northwest  of  Chicago,  2,080  miles  from  New 
Orleans,  and  9  miles  from  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony.  Excel- 
lent springs  of  water  abound  in  the  hills  near  the  city.  It 
is  the  head  of  navigation  for  the  large  steamboats  of  the 
Lower  Mississippi  and  its  tributaries,  and  is  800  feet  above  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico.  The  city  of  St.  Paul,  standing  at  the  navigable 
head  of  what  the  Indians  fitly  called,  in  their  musical  and  ex- 
pressive tongue,  the  "  Great  River,"  has  been  fortunate  in  many 
things.  Above  them  all,  it  is  supremely  fortunate  in  situation. 
A  visitor  needs  only  to  go  to  the  summit  of  either  of  the  four 
principal  blufifs  upon  which  the  city  lies,  and  beyond  which  it  is 
spreading  itself  so  rapidly,  to  see  the  secret  of  that  spell  which 
its  scenery  and  distant  outlook  communicate.  Established  in 
the  midst  of  a  territory  dominated  by  prairies,  it  looks  down 
upon  a  vast  and  beautiful  landscape  in  a  way  that  suggests  the  supremacy  and 
lordliness  of  Rome.   Its  vistas  are  various  from  these  lofty  coignes  of  vantage, 

and  each  is  a 
separate  and 
individual 
picture.  In 
1846  the 
white  people 
living  on  this 
site  consist- 
ed of  ten  per- 
sons. In  1 84 1 
a  chapel  was 
dedicated 
here  to  St. 
Paul  by  a 
Jesuit  mis- 
sionary, and 
from  this  it 
derived  i  t  s 
name.  The  principal  railroads  are  the  Northern  Pacific ;  St.  Paul,  Minneap- 
olis, and  Manitoba ;  Chicago,  Milwaukee,  and  St.  Paul ;  Chicago,  Burlington, 
and  Northern  ;  Chicago,  St.  Paul,  Minneapolis,  and  Omaha ;  St.  Paul  and  Du- 
luth ;  St.  Paul  and  Northern  Pacific ;  Wisconsin  Central ;  Minneapolis  and  St. 
Louis ;  Chicago  and  Northwestern  ;  Minnesota  and  Northwestern. 
(108) 


ST.    PAUL. 


CITY  OF  ST.   PAUL. 


109 


L 


The  Custom-house  and  Post-office  is  a  fine  granite  structure,  which  cost 
$600,000.  The  State  capitol  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $374,000.  St.  Paiil  has 
a  fine  court-house,  several  hotels  and  theatres,  public  libraries,  with  nearly 
50,000  volumes,  a  number  of  daily  and  weekly  newspapers,  several  of  which 
are  in  the  Swedish  and  German  languages.  It  has  a  State  Historical  Society, 
an  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences,  a  State  Reform  School,  various  fine  public 
schools,  orphan  asylums,  Catholic  parochial  schools,  a  commercial  and  busi- 
ness college,  a  Home  for  the  Friendless,  and  Magdalen  reformatories,  about 
50  churches,  and  a  fine  cathedral.  The  city  has  very  efficient  fire  and  police 
departments,  street  railways,  a  Mayor  and  Council.  It  is  connected  with 
West  St.  Paul  by  two  bridges  across  the  Mississippi  River.  The  boundaries 
of  the  city  include  West  St.  Paul  since  1874.  There  are  quairies  in  the  vicin- 
ity from  which  limestone  is  taken  for  building  purposes.  Its  water  supply  is 
derived  from  Lake  Phalen,  which  is  about  three  miles  from  the  city.  The 
public  park,  which  is  very  beautiful,  is  on  the  shore  of  Lake  Como,  and  con- 
tains nearly  300  acres.  It  has  several  grain  elevators,  numerous  banks  and 
insurance  companies.  The  shipments  of  wheat  amount  to  about  2,000,000 
bushels  annually,  and  flour  250,000  barrels.  The  manufactures  consist  of 
agricultural  implements,  machinery,  furniture,  ale  and  beer,  carriages,  boots 
and  shoes,  lumber,  sash  and  blinds,  doors,  and  blank  books. 

Six  of  the  National  banks  have  a  capital  of  $6,350,000.  It  is  the  centre 
of  a  large  growing  trade  in  flour,  lumber,  furs,  machinery,  etc.,  and  has  a  very 
extensive  wholesale  trade.  The  growth  of  the  city,  like  its  twin  sister,  Min- 
neapolis, has  been  very  rapid.  The  banking  capital  of  St.  Paul  exceeds  that 
of  all  the  rest  of  the  State  put  together. 

As  a  place  of  residence  St.  Paul  is  delightfully  situated,  and  on  a  clear, 
bright  day  in  spring,  the  view  from  the  bridges  which  span  the  river  is  sur- 
passingly beautiful.  Up  the  river  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach,  are  green  banks, 
with  hills  and  plateaus  crowned  with  fine  residences  and  comfortable  homes. 
The  atmosphere  of  St.  Paul  is  dry  and  pure,  and  remarkably  invigorating, 
especially  for  those  in  poor  health,  or  suffering  from  some  pulmonary  com- 
plaint. Though  the  thermometer  shows  a  greater  degree  of  cold  in  winter 
than  is  experienced  in  the  New  England  or  Atlartij  States,  yet  it  is  not  nearly 
as  perceptible  as  in  other  sections  where  the  "  raw,"  damp  days  of  winter  pene- 
trate through  the  thickest  clothing.  The  average  mean  temperature  for  the 
nine  years,  including  1883,  in  the  city  was  19°  Fahrenheit  for  the  wintet 
months ;  for  the  summer  months,  69°  80' ;  and  for  the  spring  and  fall  months, 
40°  30'  and  45°  70'  respectively. 

The  report  of  the  jobbing  trade  for  1884,  places  the  amount  of  business 
done  at  $74,820,700.  Notwithstanding  dull  times  and  financial  depression, 
St.  Paul  has  increased  during  the  past  year  her  output  of  manufactured  articles 
by  nearly  $3,000,000,  an  increase  for  the  year  of  twelve  and  one-half  per  cent. 

Population:  in  i860,  10,000;  in  1870,  20,000;  in  1880,  41,000;  and  in 
1886,  111,397 — the  latter  figures  are  according  to  the  State  census.  The 
yearly  expenditures  are  $1,123,185. 


CITY  OF  MINNEAPOLIS. 


'INNEAPOLIS  is  a  city  in  Southeastern  Minnesota,  on 
the  Mississippi  River,  situated  at  the  Falls  of  St. 
Anthony,  nine  miles  west  of  St.  Paul.  The  sur- 
rounding country  is  noted  for  its  picturesque 
beauty.  The  city  is  built  on  a  fine  broad  plateau, 
seemingly  specially  designed  by  nature  for  a  me- 
tropolis. The  river  makes  a  fall  or  descent  of  50 
feet  within  a  mile,  has  a  perpendicular  descent  of 
18  feet,  and  has  i35,ocx)  horse-power  at  low- water  mark.  It  is 
crossed  by  a  fine  suspension  bridge  built  in  1 876,  and  three 
other  bridges.  There  are  four  fine  lakes  in  the  vicinity.  Ini- 
mense  manufacturing  establishments  arc  conducted  by  meani 
of  water  power  from  the  river.  The  value  of  the  lumber  sawec 
in  one  year  amounted  to  $3,000,000,  and  the  flour  made  in  one 
year  amounted  to  nearly  $8,000,000.  The  wholesale  grocery 
business  amounts  to  nearly  $6,000,000  a  year.  An  immense 
amount  of  grain  is  millcU.  Among  the  other  important  manu- 
factures are  iron,  machinery,  water-wheels,  engines  and  boilers, 
agricultural  implements,  cotton  and  woolen  goods,  furniture,  barrels,  boots 
and  shoes,  paper,  linseed  oil,  beer,  sashes,  doors,  and  blinds.  Pork-packing  is 
conducted  on  a  very  extensive  scale  ;  and  there  are  numerous  saw-mills.  The 
wholesale  trade  is  very  important,  and  is  constantly  increasing.  Minneapolis 
is  regularly  laid  out  with  streets  and  avenues  from  60  to  100  feet  wide.  The 
streets  cross  at  right  angles,  and  are  shaded  with  fine  trees.  The  city  is  orna- 
mented by  a  series  of  beautiful  parks,  boulevards,  and  parkways,  laid  out  and 
improved  at  an  enormous  expense.  It  is  well  sewered,  and  has  a  fine  fire 
department  and  police  force.  Minneapolis  is  the  great  railroad  centre  of  the 
Northwest.  All  the  roads  of  the  Northwest,  in  fact,  touch  Minneapolis.  It 
has  a  line  of  steamers  to  St.  Cloud. 

Among  the  public  buildings  are  a  court-house,  a  city  hall  erected  in  1873, 
an  academy  of  music,  and  an  opera-house.  There  are  70  churches.  The 
Athenaeum  has  a  library  of  15,000  volumes.  Minneapolis  is  the  seat  of  the 
University  of  Minnesota  (open  to  both  sexes),  organized  in  1868,  and  having 
a  library  of  18,000  volumes  ;  and  the  Augsburg  Theological  Seminary,  estab- 
lished by  the  Scandinavians  of  the  Northwest,  with  a  library  of  1,800  vol- 
umes ;  also  Hamline  University  (Methodist).  It  has  numerous  newspapers. 
The  Falls  of  Minnehaha  are  three  miles  distant.  Considerable  interest  attaches 
to  this  cascade,  it  being  the  scene  of  a  legendary  romance  wrought  into  the 
story  of  Longfellow'''  poem  of  "  Hiawatha."  The  Minnehaha  River  flows  over 
a  limestone  clifT,  making  a  sudden  descent  of  60  feet,  and  the  story  runs  that 
Minnehaha,  an  Indian  maiden  crossed  in  love,  here  took  the  fatal  leap.  Min- 
nehaha, in  Dakota  language,  signifies  laughing  water. 

(HO) 


CITY  OF   MINNEAPOLIS. 


Ill 


The  twin  cities  arc  at  once  rivals  and  neighbors,  and  may  at  some  future 
period  be  consoUdatcd  into  one  metropoUs.  Th'  census  of  Minnesota  has 
just  been  taken  ;  according  to  it  St.  Paul  has  grown  rom  a  population  of  3  in 
1838,  to  1 1 1,397  in  1885;  and  Minneapolis  from  45  in  1845,  to  129,200  in 
1885.  According  to  the  mercantile  agency  report  of  R.  G.  Dun  &  Co.,  there 
are  in  Minneapolis  3,511  business  houses,  with  an  aggregate  pecuniary  respon- 
sibility  of  $53,138,000  ;  while  in  St.  Paul  there  are  2,601  houses  with  responsi- 
bility of  $36,847,600.     Total  for  the  two  cities,  $89,985,600. 

During  the  past  three  years  there  has  been  expended  in  new  buildings  In 
these  two  cities  $52,300,000,  in  addition  to  a  large  sum  in  public  improve- 
ments ;  and  it  may  be  safely  affirmed  that  so  great  a  sum  thus  expended  in 
London,  Paris,  or  New  York,  in  so  short  a  time,  would  attract  the  admiration 
of  the  world.  Yet  the  palatial  hotels,  massive  business  blocks,  huge  flouring- 
mills  and  elegant  residences  built  with  this  money,  stand  on  the  wooded  bluffs 
of  the  Mississippi,  and  the  world  cannot  keep  up  with  the  facts.  The  i)aid-up 
capital  and  surplus  of  the  National  and  State  banks  of  these  two  cities  together, 
are  $2,225,000  in  excess  of  those  of  New  Orleans. 

Minneapolis  alone  handled  10,000,000  more  bushels  of  wheat  this  year  than 
Chicago.  The  PJllsbury  A  mill  manufactured  in  one  week  last  fall  40,050  barrels 
of  flour,  on  two  separate  days  turning  out  7,000  barrels  ;  while  the  grist  of  the 
Pillsbury  B  is  2,000  barrels  daily.  During  the  crop-year  just  closed  those  two 
mills  made  1,730,000  barrels  of  flour,  while  the  Washburn  mills  made  1,318,939 
barrels ;  and  there  are,  besides  these  mammoth  mills,  twenty-eight  others  in 
these  cities,  with  a  total  daily  capacity  of  36,500  barrels.  The  amount  of  other 
manufactures  in  Minneapolis  last  year  exceeded  $26,000,000.  Indeed,  this  is 
the  natural  home  for  manufactures  of  all  kinds,  there  being  no  other  locality 
in  the  West  with  its  advantages.  The  climate  is  mild  and  pleasant,  and  to 
those  who  desire  to  get  rich,  we  would  say,  "  Go  West,  young  man,"  but  by 
all  means  go  to  one  of  the  twin  cities,  as  they  have  had  an  unparalleled  growth, 
and  the  hidications  arc  will  continue  to  grow  as  rapidly  as  heretofore. 


112    PICTURESQUE   SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN   PROGRESS. 


CITY  OF  PROVIDENCE. 

Providence,  one  of  the  two  capitals  (Providence  and  Newport)  of  Rhode 
Island,  and  the  principal  port  of  entry  and  county-seat  of  Providence  County, 
is  situated  at  the  head  of  navigation  on  the  Providence  River,  which  is  at  the 
head  of  Narragansett  Bay,  i6o  miles  from  New  York,  44  from  Boston,  and  33 
from  the  ocean.  The  harbor  is  spacious,  and  has  depth  for  the  largest  ships. 
The  place  was  settled  by  a  colony  of  refugees  from  Massachusetts  under 
Roger  Williams  in  1636,  who  established  there  the  oldest  Baptist  church  in 
America   in   1638.     It  was   incorporated   as  a   town   in   1649.     In  1776  the 

population  was  only  4,355, 
notwithstanding  it  had 
been  settled  140  years.  It 
was  incorporated  as  a  city 
in  1832.  It  is  now  the 
second  city  in  New  Eng- 
land in  population,  wealth, 
and  manufacturing  inter- 
ests, covering  nearly  15 
square  miles  on  both  sides 
of  the  river,  which  above 
the  bridges  expands  into 
a  cove  a  mile  in  circuit,  on 
the  banks  of  which  is  a 
handsome  park,  shaded 
with  elms.  It  contains 
^-'^  many  beautiful  residences, 
surrounded  with  fine  lawns 
and  gardens.  Its  com- 
merce is  very  extensive, 
and  the  city  abounds  in 
manufactures  and  wealth. 
Among  the  manufac- 
tures which  are  produced 
on  an  extensive  scale  are 
cotton  and  woolen  goods,  tools,  fire-arms,  sewing-machines,  iron-ware,  gold 
and  silver  ware,  jewelry,  chemicals,  dyestuffs,  toilet  and  laundry  soaps,  alarm 
tills.  There  are  also  several  bleaching  and  calendering  establishments.  The 
iron  manufactures  include  steam-engines  and  boilers,  butt-hinges,  screws, 
locomotives,  iron  castings,  etc.  The  manufacture  of  jewelry,  however,  is  con- 
sidered the  most  extensive  industry  in  Providence,  there  being  nearly  200 
factories  of  this  kind.  The  Household  Sewing-Machine  Company,  purchasers 
of  the  property  of  the  Providence  Tool  Company,  employs  nearly  2,000  men 
in  manufacturing  sewing-machines.  Fine  tools  are  manufactured  by  the  Brown 
and  Sharpe  Manufacturing  Company.    Small  wares  and  notions  are  made  by  the 


FIRST   BAPTIST  CHURCH. 


CITY   OF   MANCHESTER. 


113 


Fletcher  Manufacturing  Company.  Solid  silverware  is  manufactured  by  the 
Gorham  Company  on  an  extensive  scale.  There  is  also  the  Providence  Steam 
Engine  Company,  the  Allen  Fire  Supply  Company,  the  Barstow  Stove  Com- 
pany, the  Rhodq  Island  Locomotive  Works,  the  Corliss  Steam-Engine  Works, 
Spicer  &  Pcckham  Stove  Works.  There  are  6  cotton  and  woolen  mills ;  it  is 
also  the  headquarters  of  100  cotton  factories  and  60  woolen  mills. 

The  total  value  of  the  manufactures  is  about  $65,000,000  annually;  total 
imports  about  $150,000.  The  exports,  which  are  unimportant,  are  quoted  at 
only  $23,000.  This  is  probably  accounted  for  from  the  fact  that  most  of  the 
vessels  are  engaged  in  the  coast  trade.  The  number  of  vessels  belonging  to 
the  port  is  126,  of  32,000  tons,  while  nearly  1,000  engaged  in  the  coast  trade 
enter  the  port  every  year. 

There  are  several  lines  of  steamboats,  some  of  which  connect  with  New 
York,  Philadelphia,  Baltimore,  Norfolk,  and  Charleston.  The  coasting  trade 
is  very  extensive.  Railroads  radiate  in  all  directions.  There  are  about  55 
banks,  25  insurance  companies,  80  churches,  4  daily  papers,  and  80  public 
schools.  Among  the  principal  institutions  arc  Brown  University,  an  Athe- 
naeum with  a  library  of  about  50,000  volumes,  a  College  of  the  Society  of 
Friends,  a  Roman  Catholic  Institute,  Franklin  Lyceum,  hospitals  and  asylums. 
The  city  is  governed  by  a  Mayor,  with  one  Alderman  and  four  Councilmcn 
from  each  Ward.  Its  population  in  1875  was  100,675  ;  in  1880,  104,857  ;  and  in 
1885,  118,070.    Yearly  expenditures,  $2,205,000,  making  per  capita  about  $18. 


CITY  OF  MANCHESTER. 

Manchester  is  the  most  populous  city  in  New  Hampshire.  It  is  situated 
on  the  Mcrrimac  River  at  the  Falls  of  Amoskeag,  59  miles  north  of  Boston, 
and  18  miles  south  of  Concord,  the  capital  of  the  State.  Manchester  was 
originally  settled  in  1722  by  Scotch-Irish  Presbyterians,  and  was  at  first  called 
Derryfield,  and  incorporated  under  this  name  in  1751.  The  name  was 
changed  in  i8ioto  Manchester,  and  the  city  was  incorporated  in  1846.  Its 
manufactures  of  woolen  and  cotton  goods  are  of  vast  proportions.  The  great 
mills  grind  on  day  after  day,  and  during  the  evening  and  at  noon  thousands 
of  hard-working  people  can  be  seen  at  the  post-ofifice  and  on  the  streets. 
The  falls  of  54  feet  afford  water-power  through  canals,  which  is  the  foundation 
of  the  great  manufactures,  which  consist  of  cotton  and  woolen  goods, 
machinery,  paper,  steam-engines,  locomotives,  hardware,  carriages,  boots  and 
shoes,  soap,  tools,  starch,  etc.  The  total  capital  invested  in  manufactures  has 
been  estimated  at  $12,000,000  to  $15,000,000.  Among  the  great  corporations 
may  be  mentioned  the  Amoskeag  Manufacturing  Company,  the  Stark  Mills, 
the  Manchester  Mills,  and  the  Langdon  Mills.  The  principal  public  buildings 
are  the  Court-house,  State  Reform  School,  Catholic  Convent,  Library,  etc. 
The  city  contains  9  banks,  about  20  churches,  and  50  schools.  Its  streets  are 
well  shaded  with  elms.     It  is  the  terminus  of  several  railroads.     Population  in 


r 


114    PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN   PROGRESS. 

i860,  20,000;  1870,  23,536;  1880,  32,000,  and  in  1886,  40,000.  The  other 
cities  of  New  Hampshire  are  Concord,  the  capital  (population,  17,000),  Nashua 
(14,000),  Dover  (11,000),  Portsmouth  (11,000),  and  Keene  (7,000). 


CITY  OF  WORCESTER. 

Worcester  is  the  semi-county-seat  of  Worcester  County,  Massachusetts. 
It  is  situated  on  the  Boston  &  Albany  Railroad,  44  miles  from  Boston,  in  a 
valley  surrounded  by  beautiful  hills.  It  is  the  centre  of  a  fine  agricultural 
district.  The  building  sites  in  and  around  Worcester  are  delightful,  and 
many  of  the  residences  are  very  handsome.  The  streets  are  broad  and  well 
shaded.  The  city  is  famous  for  its  political  and  philanthropical  conventions. 
The  town  was  incorporated  in  1722,  and  the  city  in  1848.  It  was  from  the 
steps  of  the  Old  South  Church  (still  on  the  Common)  that  the  Declaration  of 
Independence  was  first  read  in  Massachusetts.  Among  the  public  buildings 
are  the  County  Court-house,  the  Union  Depot  (a  massive  structure),  and  the 
high-school  building.  The  principal  institutions  are  the  City  Hospital,  the 
Orphans'  Home,  the  Homes  for  Aged  Men  and  Women,  the  American  Anti- 
quarian Society  with  a  library  of  over  50,000  volumes  and  a  valuable  cabinet, 
the  State  Lunatic  Asylum,  the  State  Normal  School,  the  College  of  the  Holy 
Cross,  which  is  the  principal  Catholic  college  in  New  England ;  the  Military 
Academy,  and  the  Free  Institute  of  Industrial  Science.  The  high,  grammar, 
intermediate,  and  primary  schools  are  considered  the  model  schools  of  New 
England. 

The  principal  manufactures  consist  of  boots  and  shoes  (of  which  there  are 
over  30  factories),  iron,  wire,  machinery,  boilers,  corsets,  cotton  goods,  woolen 
goods,  carpets,  pistols,  paper,  locks,  hardware,  pianos,  etc.  The  city  is  the 
centre  of  several  railroads.  There  are  numerous  banks,  insurance  companies, 
and  newspapers,  three  of  the  latter  being  French.  Main  and  Front  Streets 
are  the  principal  business  streets.  The  business  blocks  have  a  fine  appear- 
ance, and  impress  a  stranger  with  the  magnitude  and  importance  of  the 
business  which  centres  in  Worcester.     Population,  1880,  58,295;   1886,  67,000. 


CITY  OF  PORTLAND. 

Portland  is  the  leading  commercial  city  and  a  seaport  of  Maine,  beauti- 
fully situated  on  an  arm  of  the  southwest  side  of  Casco  Bay.  It  occupies  a 
peninsula  three  miles  long  by  nearly  a  mile  wide.  Its  Indian  name  was 
Machigonne.  It  is  105  miles  northeast  of  Boston,  60  miles  southwest  of 
Augusta,  and  293  miles  from  Montreal.  It  includes  several  small  islands  in 
the  bay,  and  was  originally  a  part  of  Falmouth.  It  is  connected  with  Mon- 
treal and  Detroit  by  the  Grand  Trunk  Railway;  it  is  the  terminus  of  six  other 
railways.  Grain  is  shipped  from  the  Pacific  coast  to  Portland  without  change 
of  cars.     Its  trade  with  Europe,  South  America,  the  West  Indies,  and  coast 


CITY  OF   PORTLAND. 


"5 


towns  is  very  important.  Its  harbor  is  the  best  on  the  Atlantic  coast,  having 
40  feet  of  water  at  low  tide ;  it  is  protected  by  the  islands  from  storms,  and 
has  a  good  entrance.  It  is  the  winter  station  of  the  Canadian  steamers.  It  is 
defended  by  two  forts  and  fortifications  on  Hog  Island,  which  protect  the  four 
entrances.  The  exports  average  $25,000,00x3,  and  imports  $22,000,000.  It 
has  one  dry-dock.  Ship-building  is  conducted  on  an  extensive  scale.  Among 
the  other  industries  may  be  mentioned  the  manufacture  of  iron,  carriages, 
furniture,  leather,  petroleum,  varnishes,  boots  and  shoes,  jewelrj',  etc.  The 
sales  of  merchandise  amount  annually  to  about  $50,000,000 ;  the  manufactures 
amount  to  about  $10,000,000. 

The  city  has  fine,  broad,  shaded  streets  and  handsome  public  edifices, 
among  which  may  be  mentioned  a  fire-proof  and  granite  building  for  the 
United  States 
Cou  rts  and 
Custom-house, 
costing  $490,- 
000;  the  City 
Hall  of  olive- 
colored  free- 
stone,  the 
Mechanics' 
Hall  of  gran- 
ite, the  Post- 
office  of  white 
marble,  etc. 
The  city  con- 
tains over  30 
churches,  and 
is  the  seat  of 
an  Episcopal 
Bishop  and  of 
a  Catholic 
Bishop.  It 
has  numerous 
charitable  in- 
stitutions, and  about  70  societies  for  charitable  objects,  etc.  The  city  contains 
a  Law  Library  and  Public  Library. 

The  place  was  first  settled  in  1632  by  an  English  colony,  and  was  called 
Casco,  but  in  1668  it  was  changed  to  Falmouth.  In  1786  a.  portion  of  the 
place,  containing  about  2,000  people,  was  called  Portland.  The  principal 
occupation  of  the  early  settlers  consisted  of  fishing  and  trading  in  furs,  which 
they  purchased  from  the  Indians.  In  1675  the  place  contained  but  forty 
families.  The  town  was  incorporated  in  1718.  In  1755  the  population  had 
reached  nearly  3,000  souls.  In  1800  Maine  was  separated  from  Massachusetts 
and  admitted  into  the  Union  as  a  State,  and  from  that  time  until  1832 


CITY   HALL  AND  COURT-HOUSE. 


:t 


M 


.    1 


1 16    PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN  PROGRESS. 

Portland  was  the  capital ;  in  the  latter  year  the  capital  was  removed  to 
Augusta.  Portland  was  three  times  burned  in  the  wars  with  the  French  and 
Indians.  In  1866,  on  the  4th  of  July,  a  fire-cracker  in  a  boat-builder's  shop  was 
the  cause  of  a  fire  which  destroyed  $io,cxx),ooo  worth  of  property.  Population 
in  1870,  31,413;  in  1880,  34,000;  and  in  1886,  36,000. 


CITY  OF  NEW  HAVEN. 

New  Haven  is  the  largest  city  in  Connecticut  and  a  port  of  entry.  It  is 
situated  at  the  head  of  a  bay,  4  miles  from  Long  Island  Sound,  on  a  plain 
between  the  Quinipiack  and  West  Rivers.  East  Rock  and  West  Rock  are  on 
either  side,  and  are  of  volcanic  formation,  about  400  feet  high.  The  city  is 
76  miles  from  New  York  and  36  from  Hartford.  The  harbor  is  shallow,  but 
has  been  much  improved,  and  a  breakwater  is  being  constructed.  The  city  is 
known  as  "  Elm  City,"  from  the  fine  old  elm  trees  which  shade  and  adorn  its 
streets,  parks,  and  squares,  many  of  which  were  planted  over  100  years  ago. 

The  Rev.  John  Davenport  and  Theophilus  Eaton,  with  a  small  colony  of 
Puritans,  founded  New  Haven  in  1638,  and  with  other  adjoining  towns  were 
an  independent  colony  until  1662,  when  it  was  included  in  the  same  charter 
with  Connecticut.  New  Haven  and  Hartford  were  joint  capitals  from  this 
time  until  1873,  when  Hartford  became  the  sole  capital. 

The  public  square  or  "  Green  "  is  located  in  the  centre  of  the  city,  and  is 
surrounded  by  a  double  row  of  fine  old  elms.  Temple  Street,  which  passes 
through  the  "  Green,"  is  bordered  by  some  of  the  finest  elms  in  the  city.  On 
the  "  Green  "  are  three  churches,  one  of  which  is  the  oldest  in  New  Haven. 
Behind  one  of  these  churches  are  the  tombs  of  the  "  Regicides,"  Whalcy, 
Digwell,  and  GofTe  ;  and  upon  the  side  or  slope  of  West  Rock  is  a  cave  com- 
posed of  boulders,  in  which  the  "  Regicides "  concealed  themselves,  and  on 
which  is  the  inscription :  "  Opposition  to  tyrants  is  obedience  to  God."  The 
ccitral  part  of  Chapel,  Church,  Orange,  and  State  Streets  is  devoted  to 
business.  There  are  many  fine  streets,  bordered  with  ancient  elms,  on  which 
are  handsome  residences,  surrounded  with  fine  lawns  and  gardens. 

Among  the  finest  edifices  may  be  mentioned  the  City  Hall,  County  Court- 
house, Post-office  and  Custom-house,  the  Yale  College  buildings,  the  Insur- 
ance building,  the  Hillhouse  High-School,  the  Hospital,  Trinity  Church,  St. 
Mary's  Roman  Catholic  Church,  the  Calvary  Baptist  Church,  etc.  A  large, 
new,  and  beautiful  park  has  been  built  on  East  Rock,  with  several  miles  of 
drives.  The  scenery  from  the  sides  and  top  of  this  rock  is  very  picturesque. 
The  drives  wind  around  the  rock  in  serpentine  form.  On  the  top  of  the  rock 
is  a  restaurant,  from  which  point  a  beautiful  view  of  the  city  can  be  had. 
The  new  Soldiers'  Monument  is  to  be  erected  on  the  top  of  East  Rock,  where 
it  can  be  seen  from  the  vessels  coming  up  the  harbor.  The  Famham  Drive 
and  the  English  Drive  are  so  named  in  honor  of  the  late  Mr.  Famham  and 


CITY  OF   NEW   HAVEN. 


"7 


ved  to 
:h  and 
op  was 
ulation 


.  It  is 
a  plain 
:  are  on 

city  is 
ow,  but 
:  city  is 
iorn  its 

ago. 
Dlony  of 
'ns  were 

charter 
om  this 

',  and  is 
passes 

ty.  On 
Haven. 

Whaley, 

Lve  com- 

and  on 

"     The 

oted   to 

)n  which 

y  Court- 
le  Insur- 
arch,  St. 
A  large, 
miles  of 
uresque. 
the  rock 
be  had. 
:k,  where 
m  Drive 
ham  and 


Governor  English,  who  donated  the  money  for  their  construction.  Churches, 
cemeteries,  and  fine  drives  abound  in  and  about  the  City  of  Elms.  Savin 
Rock,  on  the  west  shore,  4  miles  from  New  Haven,  has  become  very  popular 
as  a  summer  resort.  It  contains  many  fine  residences,  and  is  in  some  respects 
a  miniature  Coney  Island. 

New  Haven  is  a  manufacturing  city  of  great  importance.  Its  manufactures 
of  fire-arms,  clocks,  pianos  and  organs,  carriages,  india-rubber  goods,  corsets, 
iron  goods,  and  machinery  are  very  extensive.  Other  manufactured  goods 
consist  of  cutlery,  fish-hooks,  paper  boxes,  brass  goods,  musical  instruments, 
boots  and  shoes.  It  is  the  centre  of  a  considerable  wholesale  and  retail  trade. 
The  carriage  business  is  one  of  the  largest  industries  in  the  city.  It  is  probably 
the  first  city  in  the  Union  for  fine  carriages.  The  Candee  Rubber  Factory  is 
claimed  to  be  the  second  largest  in  the  world,  while  the  Winchester  Rifle 
Company  finds  a  market  not  only  in  the  United  States,  but  in  many  parts  of 
the  globe.  The  Wheeler  Iron  Works  and  Sargent's  factories  are  among  the 
most  important  in  the  State.  Nearly  all  the  coal  and  much  of  the  freight 
of  New  England  passes  through  the  city. 

New  Haven  in  years  past  has  had  a  large  intercourse  with  the  West 
Indies,  but  in  later  years  much  of  it  is  conducted  from  New  York.  Its  com- 
merce with  Europe  has  increased  rapidly,  its  foreign  exports  chiefly  consisting 
of  fire-arms,  cartridges,  shot,  carriages,  pianos,  organs,  machinery,  etc.  In  one 
year  80  vessels  of  about  I7,0CK)  tons  entered  and  34  vessels  of  9,000  tons 
cleared  the  port  in  the  foreign  trade.  The  direct  foreign  exports  amounted 
to  nearly  $3,500,000,  and  the  direct  foreign  imports  to  nearly  $1,000,000. 
Much  of  the  business  being  done  through  New  York,  these  figures  do  not 
represent  the  entire  exports  and  imports.  About  800  vessels  are  engaged  in 
the  coast  trade,  which  is  very  extensive ;  about  200  vessels  belong  to  the 
district.  There  are  12  national.  State,  and  savings  banks,  i  trust  company, 
2  insurance  companies;  5  lines  of  railroad  connect  it  with  all  parts  of  the 
country,  and  2  daily  lines  of  steamboats  with  New  York.  It  is  the  seat  of 
Yale  College,  which  was  founded  in  1700;  first  established  at  Saybrook,  and 
removed  to  New  Haven  in  17 16.  It  is  named  in  honor  of  Elihu  Yale,  who  was 
born  in  New  Haven  in  1648,  and  when  ten  years  old  was  taken  to  England  by 
his  father,  and  never  returned ;  was  afterwards  Governor  of  the  East  India 
Company,  and  Fellow  of  the  Royal  Society.  His  gifts  to  Yale  College  were 
about  .^500  in  money  and  many  books.  The  college  has  over  100  instructors 
and  nearly  1,200  students.  Of  its  four  faculties,  the  medical  was  organized  in 
1812,  the  theological  in  1822,  the  legal  in  1824,  and  the  philosophical  in  1847. 
Its  government  consists  of  the  Governor  and  Lieutenant-Governor  of  the 
State,  6  fellows,  its  President,  and  10  ministers.  There  is  a  geological  and 
mineralogical  cabinet  of  30,000  specimens,  and  the  college  has  the  historical 
pictures  and  portraits  of  Trumbull.  The  buildings  of  the  academical  depart- 
ment occupy  one  of  the  squares  in  which  the  city  was  first  laid  out.  It  is 
almost  in  the  centre  of  the  city,  above  the  "  Green  "  or  park ;  it  has  about 
650  students.    Examinations  are  held  in  Chicago,  Cincinnati,  and  New  Haven 


li^ 


Ii8    PICTURESQUE   SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN   PROGRESS. 

each  summer  for  admission  to  this  department ;  the  course  is  four  years. 
The  college  library  has  about  100,000  volumes ;  the  libraries  of  the  professional 
departments  number  about  20,000  volumes.  The  Peabody  Museum  of  Natural 
History  in  connection  with  Yale  College  was  erected  from  a  fund  of  $150,000 
donated  by  George  Peabody,  of  England,  and  its  accumulations,  at  a  cost  of 
$175,000.     The  collections  are  open  to  the  public. 

The  population  of  New  Haven  in  1870  was  50,840;  in  1880,62,882;  and 
in  1886,  75,000.     The  city  is  noted  for  its  charitable  institutions. 


hi 


'  i 


ll. 

i; 


CITY  OF  HARTFORD. 

Hartford  is  the  capital  and  one  of  the  principal  commercial  cities  of 
Connecticut,  and  is  situated  in  the  centre  of  the  State,  on  the  west  bank  and 
50  miles  from  the  month  of  the  Connecticut  River,  at  the  head  of  navigation, 
36  miles  from  New  Haven  and  1 1 1  miles  from  New  York.  It  is  a  port  of 
delivery  connected  with  the  District  of  Middletown.  The  new  Capitol  is  of 
white  marble,  and  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $2,500,000,  and  opened  in  1878.  It 
is  one  of  the  finest  structures  of  its  kind  in  America.  It  is  295  feet  long,  189 
feet  deep,  and  257  feet  high  from  the  ground  to  the  top  of  the  crowning 
figure.  It  is  located  in  the  park  on  Capitol  Hill,  and  commands  a  splendid 
view.  The  city  is  beautifully  situated  on  rolling  ground  or  small  hills,  and 
covers  about  10  square  miles.  A  small  river,  known  as  Park  River,  runs 
through  the  park ;  and  near  the  centre  of  the  town  a  fine  bridge  spans  the 
Connecticut  River,  and  connects  East  Hartford  with  Hartford.  The  park 
covers  45  acres,  and  is  named  after  the  late  Rev.  Dr.  Horace  Bushnell.  It 
contains  a  memoral  arch,  erected  by  the  town  of  Hartford,  "  In  honor  of 
those  who  served  and  in  memory  of  those  who  fell  in  the  War  for  the 
Union " ;  a  fine  statue  by  Ward  of  General  Israel  Putnam,  and  a  statue 
of  Dr.  Horace  Wells,  the  discoverer  of  anesthetics.  Trinity  College  for- 
merly occupied  the  site  now  occupied  by  the  Capitol.  Its  new  site  is  on 
Rocky  Hill,  approached  by  some  of  the  finest  avenues  of  the  city.  The 
buildings  are  of  brown-stone,  and  form  three  great  quadrangles ;  the  front  is 
about  1,300  feet  long;  the  grounds  consist  of  80  acres.  This  city  is  the  home 
of  Samuel  L.  Clemens  (Mark  Twain),  Mrs.  Harriet  Beecher  Stowe,  and  was 
the  home  of  the  late  Mrs.  Sigourney,  the  poetess.  Some  of  the  private  resi- 
dences in  Hartford  are  very  beautiful,  and  are  set  in  lawns  and  gardens, 
many  of  them  adorned  with  statuary,  groves,  and  greenhouses. 

The  city  is  regularly  laid  out.  The  principal  retail  trade  is  on  Main  and 
Asylum  Streets,  which  cross  each  other  at  right  angles  at  State  House  Square 
in  the  centre  of  the  city.  It  is  here  that  the  old  State  House  stands,  now 
occupied  as  the  City  Hall.  It  was  built  in  1795.  It  was  in  this  old  State 
House  that  the  famous  Hartford  Convention  met  in  181 5.  The  new  Post- 
office  is  an  elegant  structure,  and  is  located  just  back  of  the  old  State  House. 


CITY  OF   HARTFORD. 


119 


Hartford  was  settled  in  1635  by  English  colonists  who  had  first  settled  in 
Massachusetts.  In  1636  was  established  the  General  Court  of  the  Colony;  in 
the  following  year  occurred  the  war  with  the  Pequot  Indians;  the  first  church 
was  founded  in  1638 ;  a  Constitution  for  the  government  of  the  Colony  was 
framed  in  1639;  a  House  of  Correction  was  established  in  1640;  the  first 
tavern  was  authorized  in  1644;  capital  offences  were  reduced  (by  a  new  code 
of  laws)  from  160  under  English  laws  to  15  in  1650.  In  1654  the  Dutch  of 
New  Amsterdam,  who  had  possession  for  a  time,  were  ejected. 

Governor  Andros  tried  to  seize  the  Colonial  Charter  in  1687,  but  failed  in 
the  attempt,  as  it  was  carried  oiif  and  hid  in  the  famous  Charter  Oak  tree. 
Connecticut  was  very  patriotic  in  the  Revolution,  and  contributed  largely  in 
men  and  money  to  the  late  Civil  War.  The  city  of  Hartford  was  incorporated 
in  1784.  It  became  the  sole  capital  in  1875,  New  Haven  and  Hartford 
having  been  semi-capitals  previous  to  this  date. 

Hartford  has  an  extensive  trade  with  nearly  all  parts  of  the  country.  It 
is  one  of  the  principal  scats  of  the  life  and  fire  insurance  business,  and  several 
of  the  finest  buildings  in  Hartford  have  been  constructed  by  insurance  com- 
panies. Book  publishing  has  been  conducted  on  a  very  extensive  scale  for  a 
city  of  its  size.  Among  the  great  manufactories  may  be  mentioned  Colt's 
Anns  Factory  (capital,  $1,000,000),  the  Weed  Sewing-Machine  Factory,  the 
Pratt  &  Whitney  Machine  Factory,  the  Washburn  Car-Wheel  Factory,  the 
Plimpton  Envelope  Company,  several  large  iron  works  and  foundries,  marble 
works,  and  Cheney's  Silk  Mills,  etc.  The  various  manufactures  amount  to 
about  $7,000,000  annually.  In  proportion  to  its  number  of  inhabitants, 
Hartford  is  claimed  to  be  the  richest  city  in  America. 

The  Deaf  and  Dumb  Institute  was  founded  in  1817  by  Dr.  Gallaudet. 
The  Retreat  for  the  Insane  is  a  fine  building,  in  which  nearly  5,000  patients 
have  been  treated.  Among  the  other  institutions  are  the  Wadsworth 
Athcn.-eum,  in  which  the  Connecticut  Historical  Society  is  located ;  the 
Hartford  Hospital,  the  State  Bible  Society,  the  State  Arsenal,  the  Widows' 
Home,  the  City  Hospital,  etc.  About  forty  churches  adorn  the  city.  The 
Church  of  the  Good  Shepherd  (Episcopal)  was  built  by  Mrs.  Colt  as  a 
memorial  to  her  husband.  It  is  a  very  beautiful  structure,  with  fine  pictorial 
windows.  The  Cedar  Hill  Cemetery  is  very  picturesque,  and  has  many  fine 
monuments, 

Hartford  has  a  fine  system  of  public  schools,  and  contains  the  oldest 
grammar  school  in  the  State,  founded  in  1655.  The  city  has  a  Free  Library, 
a  School  of  Design,  and  about  20  banks.  Railroads  connect  the  city  with  all 
parts  of  New  England,  and  numerous  lines  of  steamboats  and  sailing  craft 
carry  on  an  extensive  commerce.  Among  its  exports  arc  tobacco  and  silks. 
Hartford  is  famous  as  one  of  the  oldest  towns  in  the  country  where  were 
enacted  the  "Blue  Laws."  Population  in  1870,  37,180;  in  1880,  45,000;  and 
in  1886,  50,000, 


ft 


; 


i\ 


, 


I20    PICTURESQUE   SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN   PROGRESS. 

CITY  OF  SPRINGFIELD. 

SPRlNGFiELn,  Mass.,  is  an  important  commercial  centre.  It  is  situated  in 
the  Connecticut  Valley,  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Connecticut  River,  138  miles 
from  New  York,  102  from  Albany,  and  98  from  Boston.  It  is  the  county  seat 
of  Hampden  County,  and  the  centre  of  a  large  number  of  railroads  that 
connect  it  with  all  parts  of  the  country  and  have  done  much  towards  the 
growth  of  the  city.  The  principal  manufacturing  industries  are  the  United 
States  Armory,  employing  about  800  men  ;  the  Smith  &  Wesson  Company 
(manufacturers  of  revolvers),  the  Wason  Car  Company  (manufacturers  of  rail- 
road cars),  and  the  Morgan  Envelope  Company.  Other  manufactures  are 
cigars,  jewelry,  buttons,  cloth  edge  tools,  pumps,  gas  machines,  fire-engines, 
india-rubber  goods,  paper,  etc. 

Some  emij^iants  from  Roxbury  settled  in  Springfield  in  1635.  The  place 
was  at  first  called  Agawam,  and  finally  changed  to  Springfield  in  1640.  The 
city  was  incorporated  in  1852.  The  main  street  in  Springfield  has  a  fine 
business  appearance ;  it  is  long  and  broad,  and  has  many  fine  business  blocks. 
The  streets  are  gcncrall}'^  shaded.  The  Arsenal  is  situated  on  the  hill  in  a  fine 
park  of  over  70  acres.  During  the  Rebellion  the  Armory  was  run  night  and 
day,  and  about  §12,000,000  was  expended  in  the  production  of  arms.  I'our 
bridges  span  the  Connecticut  River  at  this  point.  The  suburbs  of  the  city 
are  very  picturesque. 

The  public  buildings  consist  of  the  Court-house  (a  fine  granite  building); 
the  City  Hall ;  the  Public  Library,  containing  about  50,000  volumes,  which 
cost  over  $100,000;  a  Museum  of  Natural  History  is  also  located  in  this 
building.  About  30  fine  churches  adorn  the  city.  There  are  numerous  banks, 
fire  and  life  insurance  companies.  It  is  here  that  the  Springfield  Republican 
is  published,  a  paper  that  is  well  known  in  all  parts  of  the  country ;  there  are 
numerous  other  papers,  both  daily  and  weekly.  There  is  a  good  system  of 
public  schools,  and  the  Fire  and  Police  Departments  are  very  efficient.  This 
city  is  the  home  of  Webster's  Unabridged  Dictionary,  the  publication  of 
which  has  done  much  to  increase  the  reputation  of  Springfield.  In  the 
suburbs  is  a  beautiful  cemetery,  which  impressed  the  writer  when  on  a  visit  to 
the  city  as  being  as  fine  for  its  size  as  any  he  had  ever  seen  ;  there  are  three 
other  cemeteries.     Population,  1870,  26,703  ;  1880,33,340;  1886,40,000. 


CITY  OF  LYNN. 

Lynn,  a  city  of  Massachusetts,  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Saugus  River, 
extends  3  miles  along  the  Atlantic  shore,  9  miles  northeast  of  Boston.  It  has 
a  small  harbor  lying  west  of  the  peninsula  of  Nahant.  It  is  connected  with 
Boston  by  the  B.,  R.  B.  &  L.  and  B.  &  M.  Railroads,  and  by  a  horse  railroad. 
Nearly  the  whole  population  is  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  boots  and 


CITY  OF  TROY. 


121 


shoes  and  works  connected  therewith.  The  shipments  of  boots  and  shoes 
annually  are  about  12,000,000  pairs,  worth  about  $20,000,000.  There  are 
over  200  establishments  engaged  in  this  industry,  with  an  estimated  capital 
of  $12,000,000.  The  leather  industry  employs  nearly  $1,000,000  capital ;  tan- 
ning and  finishing  about  1,000  skins  per  day.  These  industries  employ  nearly 
12,000  hands.  The  Thompson-Houston  Company  employ  about  500  men, 
and  are  increasing  their  works  very  rapidly.  Among  the  principal  architectural 
attractions  of  the  city  is  the  St.  Stephen's  Church  edifice,  presented  to  the 
parish  by  the  late  E.  R.  Mudge,  of  Swampscott,  as  a  memorial  to  his  son, 
Colonel  Charles  E.  Mudge,  killed  at  Gettysburg.  The  material  of  which 
the  church  is  built  was  taken  from  the  Mudge  estate  at  Swampscott.  The 
place  was  settled  in  1629,  and  incorporated  in  1850.  Originally  it  com- 
prised the  town  of  Swampscott  and  the  watering-place  of  Nahant,  which 
is  2  miles  distant.  "We  have  more  men  than  uniforms;  what  shall  we 
do?"  was  the  response  to  the  call  of  the  State  for  troops  in  1861.  It 
was  in  Lynn  that  the  first  American  fire-engine  was  made,  and  the  remains  of 
the  original  iron-works  are  still  exhibited.  The  coasting  trade  is  consider- 
able. High  Rock,  in  the  centre  of  the  city,  is  180  feet  high,  and  is  the 
end  of  a  range  of  hills  that  form  its  north  background.  It  has  a  Soldiers' 
Monument  which  cost  over  $30,000,  erected  in  1872;  3  beautiful  cemeteries, 
extensive  water-works,  a  well-organized  Fire  Department,  a  fine  system  of 
public  schools,  a  Free  Public  Library,  with  30,000  volumes ;  about  30  churches, 
a  City  Hall  which  cost  over  $300,000,  2  fire  insurance  companies,  and  banks 
with  about  $1,500,000  capital.  The  handsome  common,  the  public  squares, 
and  above  all,  the  beach,  where  numerous  fine  residences  have  been  built, 
add  much  to  the  attractions  of  Lynn.  Salem,  noted  for  witchcraft,  is  only 
5  miles  distant.   Population  of  Lynn,  1870,  28,000;  1880,  38,284;  1886,  46,000. 


CITY  OF  TROY. 

Troy  is  a  city  of  New  York,  and  the  capital  of  Rensselaer  County.  It  is 
situated  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Hudson  River  at  its  confluence  with  the 
Mohawk,  at  the  head  of  steamboat  navigation  and  tide-water,  151  miles  north 
of  New  York  City  and  6  miles  north  of  Albany.  Troy  was  settled  by  the 
Dutch  in  1700,  and  was  incorporated  as  a  village  in  1794.  Four  times  it  has 
been  nearly  destroyed  by  fire ;  in  1862  the  loss  amounted  to  $3,000,000.  Two 
small  streams,  having  a  series  of  falls,  furnish  water-power  to  mills  and  fac- 
tories, besides  that  given  by  a  dam  across  the  Hudson.  At  Troy  is  the 
principal  outlet  of  the  canals  connecting  the  Hudson  with  Lakes  Champlain, 
Ontario,  and  Erie ;  and  it  has  railways  diverging  in  all  directions,  connecting 
it  with  New  York,  Boston,  etc.  The  Union  Depot,  in  the  centre  of  the  city, 
is  one  of  the  largest  in  America.  n  ' 

The  iron  furnaces  and  manufactories  are  the  largest  east  of  the  Alleghanies, 
being  furnished  with  the  magnetic  ores  of  Lake  Champlain  and  the  hematitic 


t-i^ 


II 


122    PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN   PROGRESS. 

ores  of  Western  Massachusetts.  The  coal  is  brought  from  Pennsylvania  and 
Maryland.  The  chief  iron-works  are  those  for  bar-iron,  railway-spikes,  nails, 
locomotives,  stoves,  hot-air  furnaces,  hollow-ware,  machinery,  agricultural 
implements,  etc.  Other  important  manufactures  are  those  of  railway  cars, 
coaches,  cotton  and  woolen  goods,  breweries,  flour,  boots  and  shoes,  shirts 
and  collars — the  latter  employing  upwards  of  io,CXX)  persons,  with  extensive 
machinery.  There  is  also  the  largest  manufactory  of  mathematical  instruments 
in  the  country.  The  property  which  reaches  tide-water  by  the  canals  center- 
ing at  Troy,  including  lumber,  is  valued  at  $17,000,000  annually.  Its  manu- 
factures are  among  the  most  successful  and  important  in  America.  The  first 
Bessemer  steel  works  were  located  at  Troy.  Its  manufacture  of  stoves 
exceeds  that  of  any  other  city  in  the  Union ;  while  the  products  of  its 
furnaces,  rolling-mills,  and  foundries  are  enormous.  In  the  product  of  shirts, 
collars,  and  cuffs  it  stands  unrivalled.  Several  railroads  connect  it  with  various 
parts  of  the  country.  A  fine  iron  bridge,  which  cost  $250,000,  spans  the  river, 
connecting  Troy  and  West  Troy ;  the  latter  is  practically  a  part  of  Troy,  as 
Allegheny  is  of  Pittsburgh. 

The  city  contains  55  churches,  fine  public  schools,  the  Rensselaer  Poly- 
technic Institution,  a  Roman  Catholic  seminary,  asylums,  academies,  etc.  The 
Watervliet  Arsenal,  with  workshops  located  in  handsome  grounds,  is  in  West 
Troy.     Population,  1870,  46,421  ;  1880,  56,747;  1886,  about  63,000. 


CITY  OF  SYRACUSE. 

Syracuse  is  an  important  city  of  Central  New  York  and  county  seat  of 
Onondaga  County.  It  is  situated  in  the  Onondaga  Valley,  at  the  head  of 
Onondaga  Lake,  on  the  Erie  Canal,  at  the  junction  of  the  New  York  Central 
and  Oswego  Railroads.  It  is  148  miles  from  Albany  and  150  miles  from 
Buffalo.  The  Oswego  Canal  runs  north  from  the  city.  It  is  the  centre  of  a 
large  trade  on  account  of  its  central  location.  It  is  sometimes  called  the  city 
of  conventions.  The  manufacture  of  salt  is  one  of  its  principal  industries. 
The  Salt  Springs  were  first  discovered  by  the  Jesuits  in  1654,  and  were  taken 
possession  of  by  the  State  in  1797,  at  which  time  special  laws  were  passed 
governing  its  manufacture.  About  twenty  companies  are  now  engaged  in 
this  industry ;  the  works  are  situated  on  the  shores  of  the  lake,  and  are  the 
largest  in  America. 

The  other  important  industries  are  iron  furnaces,  numerous  large  machine- 
shops,  Bessemer  steel  works,  rolling-mills,  boiler  works,  fruit  canning,  silver- 
ware, breweries,  carriage-shops,  malleable  iron  works,  musical  instruments 
(organs),  tinware,  sheet-iron,  door,  sash  and  blind  factories,  agricultural 
implements,  etc.  There  are  over  100  large  manufacturing  establishments ;  the 
annual  product  is  about  $20,000,000  a  year.  It  is  a  handsome  city ;  contains 
a  Court-house,  State  Arsenal,  State  Lunatic  Asylum,  56  churches,  1 1  banks, 
numerous  schools  and  libraries.    Population  in  1880,  55,563;  in  1886,  75,485. 


:ss. 


CITY  OF  ALBANY. 


123 


nia  and 
:s,  nails, 
cultural 
ay  cars, 
s,  shirts 
xtensivc 
ruments 
5  ccnter- 
3  manu- 
rhe  first 
[  stoves 
s  of  its 
»f  shirts, 
1  various 
he  river, 
Troy,  as 

er  Poly- 
tc.  The 
in  West 


y  seat  of 
head  of 
;  Central 
es  from 
itre  of  a 
the  city 
dustries. 
re  taken 
passed 
jaged  in 
are  the 


CITY    OF    ALBANY. 

Albany  is  the  capital  of  New  York ;  it  is  situated  on  the  west  bank  of  the 
Hudson  River,  145  miles  north  of  New  York  City.  It  is  the  oldest  town  in 
the  Union,  with  the  exception  of  Jamestown,  Va.,  and  St.  Augustine,  Fla. 
It  was  settled  by  the  Dutch,  and  used  as  a  trading-post  with  the  Indians  as 
early  as  1614 ;  it  was  known  as  Beaver  Wyck,  and  afterward  as  VVilliamstadt. 
Fort  Orange  was  erected  in  1623,  and  the  place  was  known  by  that  name  until 
it  came  into  the  possession  of  the  British  in  1664,  when  it  was  named  Albany, 
in  honor  of  the  Duke  of  York  and  Albany,  afterward  James  II.  It  was  incor- 
porated as  a  city  in  1686,  and  in  1797  became  the  capital  of  the  State. 

The  new  Capitol  at  Albany  is  a  magnificent  structure.  It  is  built  of  gran- 
ite, and  was  erected  at  great  cost ;  it  is,  in  fact,  one  of  the  finest,  largest,  and 
most  expensive  buildings  of  the  kind  in  the  Union.     It  is  390  feet  long  by 

290  wide,  and  cov- 

ers  more  than  3  ^'^ 
acres.  It  contains 
the  public  insti- 
tutions, among 
which  are  the 
State  Library, 
containing  150,- 
000  volumes,  and 
a  great  many 
interesting  Revo- 
lutionary relics; 
and  the  Geologi- 
cal Hall,  contain- 
ing very  extensive 
and  varied  collec- 
tions in  Geology 
and  Natural  His 
tory.    The  State 

Hall  is  used  for  certain  Departments  of  the  Government.  The  State  Nunnai 
School,  established  in  1844,  has  been  very  successful.  The  Albany  Acadcni)' 
has  a  building  of  rare  architectural  beauty.  The  Union  University  was  in- 
corporated in  1852,  in  which  the  most  important  branches  of  practical  science 
are  taught  in  all  their  departments.  The  Medical  College,  founded  in  1839, 
has  one  of  the  best  Museums  in  America,  and  is  well  furnished  with  ample 
means  of  instruction.  The  Law  School,  established  in  185 1,  has  educated  a 
large  number  of  students.  The  Dudley  Observatory,  established  in  1852,  is 
well  organized  and  equipped  for  its  purposes.  The  Medical  and  Law  Schools 
were  at  first  separate  institutions,  but  now,  with  Union  College,  constitute 
Union  University. 


ALBANY,    N.  Y. 


124  PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN   PROGRESS. 

Albany  has  a  fine  system  of  public  schools,  with  a  high-school,  which  is 
very  efficient.  There  are  two  public  Hospitals  and  a  Penitentiary.  It  is  a 
great  centre  of  railways,  and  is  one  of  the  largest  timber  markets  in  the  world  ; 
millions  of  cubic  feet  pass  through  this  market  annually.  Stove  manufacture 
is  an  important  branch  of  its  industries.  The  city  is  situated  in  the  midst  of 
a  fertile  country,  and  is  a  great  emporium  for  the  transit  trade  of  the  North 
and  West  with  the  cities  on  the  coast,  and  being  situated  at  the  point  where 
the  Champlain  and  Erie  Canals  join  the  Hudson,  it  has  great  advantages  for 
commerce.  It  contains  some  of  the  finest  public  edifices  in  the  Union,  which 
for  rare  architectural  beauty  are  seldom  surpassed.  Viewed  from  some  points 
on  the  river,  Albany  has  a  fine,  picturesque,  and  striking  appearance.  Three 
large  bridges  span  the  Hudson  River.  The  water  supply  is  from  an  artificial 
lake  a  short  distance  from  the  city,  and  in  part  from  the  Hudson.  There  is 
a  beautiful  public  park  on  the  west  side  of  the  city,  in  which  some  of  the 
scenery  is  very  picturesque.  There  are  over  60  churches  of  various  denom- 
inations. The  population  in  1880  was  90,903,  and  in  1886,  ioo,ooo.  Yearly 
expenditures  about  $1,500,000. 


CITY  OF  LOWELL. 

Lowell  is  an  important  manufacturing  city  of  Massachusetts,  situated  on 
the  Merrimac  River,  25  miles  from  Boston.  It  is  the  centre  of  numerous 
railroads,  and  has  been  called  the  Manchester  of  America,  by  reason  of  its 
vast  manufacturing  industries.  The  Merrimac  River,  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Concord  River,  has  a  fall  of  33  feet  at  this  point,  which  supplies  canals  with  water 
power.  These  canals  are  controlled  by  a  company,  which  erected  extensive 
factories  for  twelve  large  corporations,  who  consume  about  10,000,000  pounds 
of  wool  and  50,000,000  pounds  of  cotton  annually,  and  have  an  invested 
capital  of  $16,000,000  and  employ  16,000  operatives,  of  which  over  11,000  are 
females.  The  employes  for  years  came  from  the  agricultural  districts  of  the 
surrounding  States,  and  lived  in  large  boarding-houses,  built  and  owned  by 
the  corporations,  and  kept  under  strict  discipline.  Foreign  immigration  has 
added  largely  to  the  number  of  operatives  in  later  years.  Its  natural  advan- 
tages for  manufacturing  are  unsurpassed  in  America.  The  twelve  corporations 
produce  annually  140,000,000  yards  of  cotton,  3,500,000  yards  of  woolen  cloth, 
2,500,000  yards  of  carpets,  135,000  shawls,  nearly  10,000,000  dozen  hosiery 
(dye  and  print),  and  67,000,000  yards  cotton  cloth.  It  has  eighty  large  mills. 
The  capital  of  each  corporation  varies  from  $1,250,000  to  $2,500,000.  We 
doubt  if  the  reader  would  be  interested  in  the  vast  array  of  figures,  represent- 
ing the  products  and  goods  manufactured  by  all  the  mills  in  this  great  line  of 
industry.  The  carpets  manufactured  include  ingrain,  Brussels,  and  Melton, 
and  equal  in  design,  quality,  and  finish  any  manufactured  in  Europe.  Among 
^he  other  industries  are  the  Lowell  machine-shops,  employing  1,400  men  and 


CITY  OF  SCRANTON. 


125 


a  capital  of  $600,000;  the  Kitson  Machinery  Factory,  the  American  Boll 
Company,  the  Swainc  Turbine-Wheel  Company,  the  Lowell  Bleachery,  employ- 
ing 500  hands  and  over  $250,000  capital.  Other  manufactures  are  hosiery, 
edge  tools,  tiles,  screws,  fixed  ammunition  and  cartridges,  paper,  hair  felt, 
elastic  goods,  carriages,  furniture,  pumps,  hydraulic  presses,  bobbins,  chciriicals, 
etc.  This  is  the  city  from  which  Dr.  J.  C.  Ayer  &  Co.  flood  the  country 
with  patent  medicine,  and  send  out  10,000,000  ahnanacs  annually. 

The  City  Library  contains  17,000  volumes;  the  Mechanics'  Library,  13,000 
volumes.  The  city  was  chartered  in  1836.  It  originally  consisted  of  the 
town  of  Chelmsford  ;  subsequently  parts  of  Dracot  and  Tewksbury  were  added. 
It  is  well  paved,  drained,  and  lighted  by  gas.  It  has  a  Court-house  and 
7  national  banks,  with  an  aggregate  capital  of  $2,350,000.  There  are  C  savings 
banks,  2  hospitals,  2  insurance  companies,  Roman  Catholic  Orphan  Asylum, 
an  Old  Ladies'  Home,  Young  Women's  Home,  a  good  Fire  Department, 
with  an  electric  fire-alarm,  and  a  well-organized  police  force.  The  city  has 
handsome  public  squares.  In  the  centre  of  the  city  is  a  monument  erected 
to  the  memory  of  Ladd  and  Whitney,  members  of  the  Sixth  Massachusetts 
Volunteers,  who  were  killed  on  April  19,  1861,  by  a  mob  in  Baltimore.  The 
water-works  were  finished  in  1873,  and  cost  $1,500,000.  The  city  was  named 
in  honor  of  Francis  Cabot  Lowell,  of  Boston.  Belvidere  is  the  fashionable 
quarter  of  the  city,  and  is  in  the  eastern  section.  The  population  in  1861 
was  36,827;  1870,40,928;  1880,59,845;   1886,65,000. 


CITY  OF  SCRANTON. 

ScRANTON  is  a  city  in  Pennsylvania.  It  is  situated  in  a  valley  on  the 
Lackawanna  River.  It  was  founded  by  a  family  of  the  name  of  Scranton  in 
1840,  and  incorporated  as  a  city  in  1866.  It  is  145  miles  from  New  York 
and  167  miles  from  Philadelphia.  It  is  in  the  midst  of  the  coal  region.  Its 
shipments,  upwards  of  50,000  tons  daily,  are  enormous,  and  it  has  a  large 
trade  in  mining  supplies.  It  has  vast  iron  and  steel  works,  extensive  machine- 
shops,  breweries,  gunpowder  works,  and  stove  works.  It  fixes  the  American 
rate  on  steel  rails.  Other  industries  are  silk  fabrics,  brass  goods,  leather, 
hollow-ware,  etc.  It  has  numerous  handsome  and  substantial  public  buildings, 
12  banks,  over  30  fine  churches,  gas-works,  water-works,  a  good  fire  depart- 
ment, numerous  charitable  institutions,  public  schools,  academies,  a  Board  of 
Trade,  a  Scientific  and  Historical  Society,  and  a  fine  collection  of  Indian  relics. 
The  city  is  well  laid  out,  and  has  a  fine  business  appearance.  Its  wholesale 
trade  is  very  extensive.  It  is  on  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  Rail- 
road, and  is  the  terminus  of  the  Lackawanna  &  Bloomsburgh,  Delaware  & 
Hudson,  the  Erie,  and  the  Philadelphia  &  Reading  Railroads.  Scranton  is  a 
growing  city  and  a  great  hive  of  industry.  Population,  1880,45,850;  1885, 
70,350. 


126    PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN   PROGRESS. 


f'Mi 


CITY    OF    BUFFALO. 

Buffalo  for  many  years  has  been  called  the  "  Queen  City  of  the  Lakes," 
and  well  merits  that  prond  appellation.  It  is  a  "  Port  of  Entry,"  and  the 
capital  of  Erie  County,  New  York ;  situated  at  the  eastern  extremity  of  Lake 
Erie,  at  the  head  of  Niagara  River,  and  the  mouth  of  Buffalo  River,  in  lati- 
tude 42  degrees  53  minutes  North;  longitude  78  degrees  55  minutes  West, 
about  293  miles  northwest  of  New  York  City,  and  is  the  western  terminus  of 
the  Erie  Canal.  It  has  one  of  the  finest  harbors  on  the  lakes,  formed  by  the 
Buffalo  River,  a  small  stream  which  is  navigable  for  about  three  miles  from  its 
mouth.  The  entrance  is  protected  by  a  breakwater  1,500  feet  long,  upon  the 
south  side  of  the  river.     In  1869  the  United  States  Government  began  the 


VIEW   IN  BUFFALO   PARK. 


construction  of  an  outside  harbor,  by  building  a  breakwater  4,000  feet  long, 
fronting  the  entrance  to  Buffalo  River,  at  a  distance  of  about  one-half  mile 
from  the  shore.  In  addition  to  the  harbor,  there  are  a  large  number  of  slips, 
docks,  and  basins,  for  the  accommodation  of  shipping  and  canal-boats.  The 
city  was  founded  in  1804,  and  named  New  Amsterdam.  It  became  a  military 
post  in  18 1 3,  and  was  destroyed  by  the  British  in  the  same  year.  The  place 
was  rebuilt  after  the  war,  and  took  its  present  name  from  the  river,  on  whoso 
banks  stood  the  principal  village  of  the  Seneca  Indians,  and  where  lived  the 
famous  Chiefs,  Red  Jacket  and  Farmers  Brother. 

It  grew  rapidly  after  the  ompletion  in  1825  of  the  Erie  Canal,  and  soon 
became  a  transfer  station  for  all  the  commerce  of  the  lakes.  It  was  incorpora- 
ted as  a  city  in   1832,  with  a  population  of  about  10,000.    In  later  years  it 


CITY   OF  BUFFALO. 


127 


has  become  one  of  the  most  important  railroad  centres  in  the  country.  It  is  the 
terminus  of  the  New  York  Central ;  New  York,  Lake  Erie,  and  Western  ;  Lake 
Shore  and  Michigan  Southern  ;  Michigan  Central ;  New  York,  West  Shore,  and 
Buffalo ;  Lehigh  Valley  ;  Delaware,  Lackawanna,  and  Western  ;  Buffalo,  New 
York,  and  Philadelphia  ;  New  York,  Chicago,  and  St.  Louis  ;  Buffalo,  Roches- 
ter, and  Pittsburgh,  and  two  branches  of  the  Grand  Trunk.  The  railroad 
yard  facilities  are  the  most  extensive  in  the  world,  there  being  about  660 
miles  of  track  inside  of  the  city.  The  vast  quantities  of  grain  moving  east  to 
the  Atlantic  coast  is  an  important  part  of  the  commerce  of  Buffalo,  and  no 
other  city  in  the  Union  has  better  facilities  for  handling  or  storing  it,  there 
being  about  40  elevators  with  a  capacity  for  handling  nearly  4,000,000  bushels 
per  day.  The  large  stock-yards  in  the  eastern  suburbs  of  the  city  are  used 
not  only  as  a  transfer  station,  but  as  a  market  for  local  distribution.  The  city 
has  an  immense  trade  in  coal,  which  arrives  from  Pennsylvania,  and  is  shipped 
east  by  rail  and  canal  and  west  by  lake.  Its  anthracite  coal  docks  are  the 
most  extensive  in  the  world;  the  total  receipts  of  anthracite  coal  for  1885 
were  about  three  million  tons,  and  of  bituminous,  about  one  and  one-half  mill- 
ions of  tons. 

There  is  quite  an  extensive  trade  in  lumber  from  Pennsylvania,  Michigan, 
and  Lower  Canada.  There  are  over  thirty  large  establishments  for  the  man- 
ufacture of  iron,  besides  two  yards  fitted  to  iron  ship-building,  which  have  pro- 
duced some  of  the  finest  vessels  on  the  lakes,  and  many  iron  revenue  vessels 
for  the  Governmc  .  The  estimated  value  of  the  leather  manufacture  here  in 
1885  was  $10,000,000,  of  boots  and  shoes  $2,000,000. 

Buffalo  takes  the  lead  in  the  quality  of  hemlock  sole  leather  produced  in 
the  United  States.  Its  flour-mills  are  also  quite  extensive,  having  a  capacity 
of  3,850  bbls.  per  day. 

The  city  is  regularly  built,  being  eight  miles  long,  north  and  south,  and 
about  five  miles  wide,  containing  thirty-nine  square  miles.  It  has  long  been 
celebrated  for  the  elegance  of  its  private  dwellings  which  can  be  found  in 
nearly  every  part  of  the  city,  especially  on  the  avenues  lying  west  of  Main 
Street.  The  broad,  straight  avenues  lined  by  noble  trees  add  greatly  to  the 
beauty  of  the  city.  The  climate  though  cold  in  winter  is  considered  pleasant 
and  very  healthful ;  it  has  a  good  water  and  sewerage  system.  Many  of  its 
streets  are  paved  with  smooth  asphalt.  The  city  is  divided  into  thirteen 
wards,  and  its  principal  officers  are  the  Mayor  and  Common  Council,  com- 
posed of  two  Aldermen  from  each  ward,  the  Comptroller,  City  Treasurer, 
City  Engineer,  Street  Commissioner,  three  Assessors,  and  Corporation  Counsel. 

The  assessed  value  of  its  taxable  property  is  $114,000,000.  Its  principal 
public  buildings  are :  The  City  and  County  Hall,  completed  in  1876,  at  a  cost  of 
$1,445,000.  It  is  built  of  granite,  is  three  stories  high,  not  including  the  fin- 
ished basement,  and  furnishes  quarters  for  all  the  city  and  county  officers,  as 
well  as  the  courts.  It  is  situated  on  the  square  bounded  by  Franklin,  Church, 
Delaware,  and  Eagle  Streets ;  the  County  Jail  is  on  the  opposite  side  of  Dela- 
ware Street,  and  is  connected  by  a  tunnel  under  the  street.     The  State  Insane 


f. 


I-  i 


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»ii: 


!! 


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I 


II 


128    PICTURESQUE   SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN  PROGRESS. 

Asylum,  recently  completed  at  a  cost  of  over  $2,000,000 ;  the  Erie  County 
Almshouse ;  Erie  County  Penitentiary,  and  many  public  hospitals,  asylums, 
and  charitable  institutions.  Among  its  fine  edifices  are,  the  Custom-house  ; 
the  German  Insurance  Building;  theHayen  Building;  the  White  Building;  the 
Board  of  Trade  Building;  the  Marine  Bank  Building ;  the  Young  Men's  Asso- 
ciation Building ;  the  Erie  County,  Western,  and  Buffalo  Savings  Banks  Build- 
ings; the  Fine  Arts  Academy;  the  Fitch  Creche  ;  the  State  Arsenal ;  and  the 
Seventy-fourth  Regiment  Armory ;  besides  its  many  elegant  hotels  and  rail- 
road depots. 

Among  the  institutions  in  which  special  interest  is  taken  are  the  Young 
Men's  Association,  now  called  the  "  Buffalo  Library  ";  the  Society  of  Natural 
Sciences ;  the  Grosvenor  Library ;  the  Buffalo  Historical  Society ;  the  Acad- 
emy of  Fine  Arts;  the  Decorative  Arts  Society;  the  Liedertafcl  Singing 
Society ;  the  Buffalo  Orphan  Asylum  ;  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Associa- 
tion, and  the  Law  Library. 

There  are  over  one  hundred  churches  and  places  of  public  worship.  There 
are  ten  daily  newspapers,  and  ten  weeklies,  besides  several  monthly  periodi- 
cals. There  are  over  fifty  public  schools ;  a  State  normal  school ;  one  high- 
school ;  two  medical  colleges;  Saint  Joseph's  College,  conducted  by  the  Chris- 
tian Brothers  ;  and  Canisus  College ;  besides  numerous  private  schools,  col- 
leges, and  academies.  Music  Hall,  the  property  of  the  German  Young  Men's 
Association,  was  destroyed  by  fire  March,  1885,  but  is  now  being  rebuilt  more 
substantially  than  before.  The  Young  •  Men's  Association,  now  Buffalo 
Library  Association,  are  also  erecting  a  new  and  elegant  fire-proof  building 
for  the  accommodation  of  their  valuable  circulating  library  of  nearly  50,000 
volumes— this  building  is  to  be  occupied  also  by  the  Buffalo  Historical  So- 
ciety, the  Society  of  Natural  Sciences,  and  the  Academy  of  the  Fine  Arts. 

The  Park  system,  extending  around  the  business  part  of  the  city  in  the 
shape  of  a  horse-shoe,  contains  over  600  acres,  and  is  connected  by  boulevards 
comprising  over  12  miles  of  delightful  drives.  Forest  Lawn  Cemetery  is 
beautifully  situated,  and  laid  out  in  the  northern  part  of  the  city.  It  contains 
75  acres. 

The  population  in  iSiowas  1,500;  in  1830,  8,653;  in  1850,42,000;  in  1870, 
117,700;  in  1880,  155,134;  and  in  1886,210,818.  Its  growth  is  not  only  rapid 
but  substantial.  The  proportion  of  tax-payers  to  the  residents  is  not  exceeded 
by  any  city  in  the  United  States. 


CITY  OF  TRENTON. 

Trenton  is  the  capital  of  New  Jersey  and  an  important  manufacturing 
city.  It  is  situated  on  the  Delaware  River  at  its  confluence  with  Assanpink 
Creek,  at  the  head  of  steamboat  navigation,  28  miles  from  Philadelphia  and 
57  miles  from  New  York  by  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad.     It  is  a  well-built  and 


CITY  OF   HARRISBURG. 


129 


handsome  city,  and  commands  a  fine  view  of  the  river.  It  contains  the  State 
Capitol,  State  Lunatic  Asylum  for  600  patients,  State  Normal  School,  Deaf 
and  Dumb  Asylum,  penitentiary  with  915  inmates,  State  Library  of  25,000 
volumes,  36  churches,  several  daily  newspapers,  and  extensive  railway  con- 
nections. The  city  is  famous  for  its  extensive  manufactures  of  tcrra-cotta  and 
crockery,  which  exceeds  all  the  rest  of  the  United  States  put  together. 
Cooper  &  Hewitt's  large  iron-works  and  Roebling's  famous  cable  bridge  works 
are  located  here.  Other  manufactures  are  steam-engines,  machinery,  wire,  wire- 
cordage,  cotton,  woolen,  and  several  large  rubber  factories.  In  the  War  of 
the  Revolution  Trenton  was  the  scene  (December  25,  1776)  of  a  night  attack 
by  Washington  upon  the  British  troops — chiefly  Hessians — whom  he  surprised 
by  crossing  the  Delaware  when  the  floating  ice  was  supposed  to  have  ren- 
dered it  impassable.     Population,  1870,  22,870;  1880,30,000;  1886,35,000. 


CITY  OF  WILMING-TON. 

Wilmington  is  a  city  and  port  of  North  Carolina,  on  the  Cape  Fear  River, 
just  below  the  junction  of  the  northeast  and  northwest  branches,  about  7  miles 
from  the  sea.  It  has  a  fine  harbor,  railway  connections,  and  internal  navigation. 
The  exports  are  extensive,  and  consist  of  cotton,  shingles,  tar,  resin,  turpentine, 
lumber,  rice,  etc.  It  is  sufficiently  far  south  to  enjoy  a  balmy  climate,  and  is, 
withal,  not  only  an  enterprising  and  growing  city,  but  a  shady,  attractive  place, 
sufficiently  near  the  sea  to  gain  the  advantage  of  its  health-giving  saline  atmos- 
phere. It  has  fine  drives  and  watering-places.  Wilmington  is  a  railroad 
centre  of  importance,  and  a  port  of  heavy  shipments  of  Carolinian  staples. 
Depth  of  water  at  main  bar,  18^  feet. 

During  the  Civil  War  it  was  one  of  the  principal  ports  of  the  Confederacy, 
and  was  celebrated  for  blockade-runners.  It  finally  surrendered  to  General 
Terry  in  1865.    Population,  1870, 13,446;  in  1880, 17,300;  and  in  1886,  21,000. 


CITY  OF  HARRISBURG. 

Harrisburg  is  the  capital  of  Pennsylvania  and  the  county  seat  of  Dauphin 
County,  situated  on  the  Susquehanna  River,  and  surrounded  by  a  productive 
region  and  magnificent  scenery.  It  is  106  miles  from  Philadelphia.  The  river  is 
here  a  mile  wide,  and  is  crossed  by  three  railroad  bridges,  one  of  which  is  nearly 
4,700  feet  in  length.  It  has  a  handsome  State  House,  180x80  feet,  sur- 
mounted by  a  dome.  It  has  a  handsome  public  square.  Its  industries  con- 
sist of  iron  foundries,  machine-shops,  coach,  car,  and  steam-engine  factories, 
tanneries,  breweries,  saw-mills,  cotton-mills,  etc.  It  is  the  seat  of  a  Catholic 
bishopric.    The  Cumberland  Valley,  the  Pennsylvania,  the  Northern  Central, 


l1 


130    PICTURESQUE   SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN  PROGRESS. 

the  Philadelphia  &  Reading,  the  Schuylkill  &  Susquehanna,  and  the  Southern 
Pennsylvania  (unfinished  1886)  Railroads  radiate  from  this  centre. 

The  city  has  a  United  States  Court-house  and  Post-office  building, 
Court-house,  jail.  State  Arsenal,  State  Lunatic  Asylum,  35  churches,  several 
academies,  8  or  10  newspaper-offices,  markets,  schools,  and  7  diverging  rail- 
ways. It  was  settled  in  1733  by  John  Harris,  an  Englishman,  under  a  grant 
from  the  Penns,  the  original  European  settlers  of  Pennsylvania.  In  1785  a 
town  was  laid  out,  and  named  Harrisburg,  after  John  Harris,  Jr.,  the  founder. 
An  attempt  was  made  by  Chief -Justice  McKean  to  change  the  name  to 
Louisburg,  in  honor  of  the  Dauphin  of  France,  but  was  successfully  resisted 
by  Harris.  It  was  selected  as  the  seat  of  the  State  capital  in  1 812.  The  city 
is  well  paved,  and  has  gas,  electric  light,  and  water.  Population,  1870, 
23,104;  1880,30,400;  1886  (estimated),  40,000. 


KANSAS  CITY. 

Kansas  City  is  the  county  seat  of  Jackson  County,  situated  in  the  State 
of  Missouri,  at  the  confluence  of  the  Missouri  and  Kansas  (or  Kaw)  Rivers. 
The  boundary  line  between  the  States  of  Kansas  and  Missouri  runs  through 
the  western  section  of  the  city.  A  large  part  of  the  city  is  built  on  a  plateau, 
covering  numerous  bluffs,  which  are  boldly  rugged  and  picturesque.  The 
principal  bluff  almost  overhangs  the  narrow  strip  of  land  called  the  bottom 
that  runs  along  parallel  with  the  river.  The  plateau  is  intersected  by  numerous 
ravines,  which  form  great  hills  and  pretty  vales  all  across  the  entire  city. 
Thus  it  happens  that  almost  every  street  in  Kansas  City,  save  only  those  in 
"  the  bottom,"  is  a  constant  series  of  "  ups  and  downs,"  hills  and  valleys. 
This  lends  a  picturesqueness  to  the  view  when  taken  from  any  point  of 
observation  that  is  exceedingly  interesting  and  enjoyable.  Situated  in  the 
midst  of  a  territory  rich  in  natural  resources  to  an  almost  unlimited  extent, 
and  with  almost  unequalled  climatic  advantages,  Kansas  City  engages  in  com- 
merce of  infinite  variety.  Crop  failures  are  less  damaging  for  the  reason  that 
all  do  not  fail  in  the  same  season,  and  the  ever-expanding  live-stock  industry 
furnishes  another  source  of  revenue. 

Kansas  City  has  become  the  central  point  in  the  United  States  for  the 
packing  and  canning  interest.  With  six  great  packing-houses,  Kansas  City  is 
producing  pork  products  and  canned  meats  that  are  shipped  in  immense 
quantities  to  all  parts  of  the  United  States,  and  the  trade  abroad  has  become 
a  regular  and  special  factor  in  the  business.  The  Western  States  and  Terri- 
tories are  regular  patrons  of  the  packing-houses  in  this  city,  the  trade  extend- 
ing even  to  the  Pacific  coast.  A  conservative  estimate  of  the  packing  output 
of  the  city  in  value  is  $35,000,000. 

In  bank  clearings  Kansas  City  ranks  as  the  eleventh  city  in  the  Union,  the 
total  figures  for  1885  being  $223,582,933.     The  business  buildings  of  the  city 


» 


LSS. 
aouthern 

building, 
5,  several 
ging  rail- 
r  a  grant 
;n  1785  a 

founder. 

name  to 

y  resisted 

The  city 

on,   1870, 


CITY  OF  EVANSVILLE. 


»3i 


the  State 
w)  Rivers. 
IS  through 
a  plateau, 
^ue.     The 
le  bottom 
numerous 
ntire  city. 
y  those  in 
id  valleys. 
'  point  of 
ted  in  the 
ed  extent, 
es  in  com- 
eason  that 
industry 

es  for  the 
sas  City  is 
immense 
las  become 
and  Terri- 
de  extend- 
ing output 


are  extensive  and  very  substantial ;  the  private  residences  are  numerous  and 
elegant ;  and  the  value  of  real  estate  has  advanced  rapidly,  in  many  instances 
more  than  doubling  in  a  year.  Fremont  alludes  to  the  site  of  the  city  in  1843 
as  Chouteau's  Landing.  The  growth  of  the  city  began  from  1850  to  i860. 
Alter  the  Civil  War  it  became  one  of  the  great  railroad  centres  and  an 
important  point  for  supplying  emigrants  on  their  Western  journey,  and  the 
principal  market  for  the  sale  of  cattle,  buffalo  skins,  and  hides.  It  is  now  the 
centre  of  a  vast  railway  system.  Most  of  these  railroads  cross  the  Missouri 
River  on  an  iron  bridge  1,387  feet  long,  and  supported  by  stone  piers.  The 
Kansas  River  is  spanned  by  two  other  fine  bridges. 

Kansas  City  is  almost  in  the  geographical  centre  of  the  country,  as  she  is  in 
the  centre  of  the  rich  agricultural  region.  The  line  of  industrial  and  populous 
growth  approaches  near  this  point  with  each  year  of  progress,  and  it  is  easy 
to  discover  why  Kansas  City  extends  its  trade  limits  with  such  remarkable 
rapidity. 

The  table  of  assessed  valuation  of  property  for  1885  shows  a  very  marked 
increase  over  1884,  and  is  only  another  evidence  of  the  rapid  progress  of  the 
city.  The  assessed  valuation  of  the  city  last  year  (1885)  was  $31,678,520. 
Kaw  Township  was  also  added,  amounting  to  about  $3,000,000,  making  the 
total  $34,678,520.  This  year  (1886)  the  assessed  valuation  of  the  city  is  exactly 
$46,386,790.  The  city  assessed  valuation  is  made  at  40  cents  on  the  dollar  of 
cash  value.  On  the  ist  day  of  January,  1886,  the  total  deposits  of  the  banks 
were  $12,072,973,  an  increase  of  nearly  $4,000,000  over  January,  1885.  A  year 
ago  the  loans  and  discounts  aggregated  $6,214,000,  while  at  present  they 
amount  to  $8,282,835,  an  increase  of  $2,068,835,  or  33.29  per  cent. 

The  city  has  one  of  the  best  paying  cable  lines  in  the  United  States,  and 
several  others  are  in  course  of  construction.  There  are  numerous  grain 
elevators,  having  storage  capacity  for  a  vast  quantity  of  grain ;  immense  stock- 
yards, and  a  cattle  stock  exchange.  Bituminous  coal,  taken  from  the  sur- 
rounding counties,  is  distributed  from  this  point  over  a  vast  region  of  territory. 
Population,  1870,  32,260;  1880,  55,813.  In  November,  1885,  a  municipal 
enumeration  was  completed,  and  showed  a  population  of  105,049.  If  we  add 
that  section  which  is  cut  off  by  the  State  line  of  Kansas,  but  which  is  prac- 
tically a  part  of  the  city,  the  population  would  be  increased  to  150,000  in  1886. 


CITY  OF  EVANSVILLE. 

EVANSVILLE  is  an  enterprising  city  and  port  of  entry  of  Indiana.  It  is 
situated  in  Vanderburgh  County,  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Ohio,  midway 
between  Louisville  and  Cairo,  150  miles  from  Indianapolis.  It  is  very  advan- 
tageously situated  for  trade,  being  connected  by  several  railroads  with  the 
great  railroad  system  of  the  United  States.  From  Evansville  downwards  the 
navigation  of  the  river  is  seldom  interrupted  either  by  drought  or  by  ice ;  and 


m 


i 


.:i 


J   I 


lili 


132    PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN  PROGRESS. 

here  terminates  the  Wabash  &  Erie  Canal,  the  longest  work  of  the  kind  in 
America.  Thus,  the  place  connects  the  Lower  Ohio  at  once  with  the  inland 
lakes  and  with  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  Coal  and  iron  ore  abound  in  the  vicinity. 
It  is  a  manufacturing  centre  of  importance,  and  the  trade  in  agricultural  prod- 
ucts is  very  extensive.  The  city  has  a  fine  Custom-house  and  Post-office, 
Court-house,  Marine  Hospital,  numerous  public  halls,  schools,  churches,  etc. 
It  has  grown  rapidly,  and  is  in  a  flourishing  condition.  Population,  1870, 
21,830;  1880,35,000;  1886,45,000. 


CITY  OF  DAVENPORT. 

Davenport  is  a  city  in  Iowa,  opposite  Rock  Island,  111.  It  is  situated  on 
the  right  (or  west)  bank  of  the  Mississippi  River,  below  the  Upper  Rapids, 
183  miles  west  of  Chicago.  It  is  on  the  Great  Western  route  from  Chicago, 
and  is  the  centre  of  numerous  railroads.  A  large  iron  bridge,  which  cost 
$1,000,000,  spans  the  river  at  this  point,  and  connects  the  city  with  Rock 
Island ;  it  has  railroad,  carriage,  and  pedestrian  accommodation.  The  scenery 
in  this  vicinity  is  unsurpassed  on  the  North  Mississippi,  and  the  city,  which  is 
on  a  commanding  bluff,  aflords  a  fine  view  of  the  river. 

The  manufactures  consist  of  cotton  and  woolen  goods,  agricultural  imple- 
ments, flour,  carriages,  furniture,  lumber,  etc.     It  is  situated  in  the  midst  of  a 

fine  agricul- 

'^^' '  ^^^^^^^^^^^ui^-^iim^-  arr.  ,.,.        and  has  a  large 

trade  with  the 
surrounding 
country.  It 
has  a  fine 
court-house. 
City  Hall,  gas- 
works, water- 
works, over 
30  churches, 
schools,  banks, 
Opera-house,  a 
Catholic  Acad- 
emy, Semina- 
ry, Hospital, 
and  an  Epis- 
copal College.  Coal  is  abundant  in  the  vicinity,  and  an  extensive  trade  is 
conducted  by  rail  and  water.  Numerous  fine  buildings,  erected  by  the  United 
States  Government,  including  the  United  States  Arsenal  and  Military  Head- 
quarters, are  situated  on  Rock  Island.  Population,  1870,  20,038;  1880, 
25,000;  1886,  32,000. 


DAVENPORT. 


CITY  OF  OMAHA. 


133 


CITY  OF  OMAHA. 


Omaha  is  the  principal  city  of  the  State  of  Nebraska.  It  is  situated  on 
the  west  bank  of  the  Missouri  River,  opposite  Council  Bluffs,  20  miles  from 
the  mouth  of  the  Nebraska  River,  and  490  miles  west  by  rail  from  Chicago. 
The  name  of  the  city  is  derived  from  one  of  the  Indian  tribes  of  Dakota. 
The  city  is  built  on  a  plateau  about  loo  feet  above  the  river,  and  i,oco  feet 
above  the  sea.  The  place  was  laid  out  in  1854,  and  incorporated  in  1859. 
The  capital  of  the  Territory  was  first  located  at  this  point,  but  was  afterwards 
removed  to  Lincoln.  Omaha  is  the  terminus  of  the  Union  Pacific,  the  Omaha 
&  Northwestern,  the  Omaha  &  Southwestern,  and  numerous  other  railroads. 
It  is  here  that  the  Union  Pacific  and  Central  Pacific  connect.  The  town  was 
originally  planned  on  a  scale  that  provided  for  the  growth  of  a  large  city. 
Before  the 
Union  Pa- 
cific was  con- 
structed it 
was  the  great 
point  at 
which  emi- 
grants ar- 
rived and 
fitted  out  for 
their  over- 
land trips  to 
the  "Far 
West."  Its 
growth  has 
been    rapid. 

Abridge  „ 

^t  OMAHA  AS  IT  WAS  IN   l870. 

spans  the 

Missouri,  and  connects  the  city  with  Council  Bluffs.     It  has  extensive  railroad 

shops,  iron-works  for  the  manufacture  of  railroad  iron,  machine-shops,  and 

smelting  works  for  separating  and  refining  all  kinds  of  ore  which  come  to 

Omaha  from  the  various  mining  regions.    The  city  has  about  30  churches, 

several  daily  and  weekly  papers,  is   lighted  with  gas,  has   numerous  street 

(horse)  railroads,  fine  schools,  hotels,  fine  residences  and  business  blocks,  a 

United  States  Post-office  and  Custom-house,  in  which  are  the  United  States 

Court  Chambers  for  the  District  of  Nebraska ;  a  large  State  Institution  for 

the  Deaf  and  Dumb.     Its  wholesale  trade  is  extensive,  and  rapidly  increasing. 

Population,  i860,  i,9C»;    1870,  16,083;   1880,30,518;  in  1885,61,800;  and 

in  1886,  70,000.    Lincoln  has  a  population  of  16,000. 


n 


[I 


V 


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t; 


1 


'       I! 


134  PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN   PROGRESS. 

CITY  OF  COLUMBUS. 

Columbus  is  a  flourishing  city,  and  the  capital  of  Ohio.  It  is  situated  in 
Franklin  County,  on  the  Scioto  River,  which  is  a  tributary  of  the  Ohio.  It  is 
about  100  miles  northeast  of  Cincinnati,  in  the  midst  of  an  extensive  plain. 

Its  streets  are  wide 
and  handsome,  and 
shaded  with  elms. 
The  squares  and 
beautiful  parks  add 
much  to  its  appear- 
ance. The  city  be- 
came the  State  capi- 
tal  in  1816;  to  this 
and  the  other  numer- 
ous State  institutions, 
the  city  for  a  long 
time  owed  its  import- 
ance. But  in  1  a  t  -e 
years  its  manufac- 
tures have   increased 

STATE    CAPITOL.  , .      ..         ,^„:ji„        tu^„ 

■•  ,  .'         \      rapidly.      Iney    con- 

i  sist  of  carriages,  agri- 

cultural implements,  furniture,  files,  harness,  brushes,  printing  establishments, 
extensive  flour-mills  and  engineering  works,  rolling-mills,  blast  furnaces,  tools, 
saws,  watches,  leather,  window  glass,  malleable  iron,  boots  and  shoes. 

The  principal  public  buildings  are  the  State  Capitol,  the  City  Hall,  the 
Penitentiary,  the  new  Government  Building,  the  numerous  asylums  for  the 
blind,  deaf  and  dumb,  insane  and  idiotic,  the  Court-house,  Opera-house,  Alms- 
house, United  States  Arsenal,  high-school  building,  the  Odd  Fellows'  Hall, 
and  Post-office.  Other  attractions  are  the  beautiful  gardens  of  the  Horticul- 
tural Society,  numerous  hotels,  fine  suburbs,  horse-railroads,  and  Green  Lawn 
Cemetery.  It  is  the  centre  of  fourteen  lines  of  railroad,  and  its  population 
and  trade  are  rapidly  increasing.  Population,  in  1870,  31,000  ;  in  1880,  52,cxx3; 
in  1886,  75,000. 


CITY  OF  TOLEDO. 

Toledo  is  the  county  seat  of  Lucas  County,  Ohio.  It  is  situated  on  both 
sides  of  the  Maumee  River,  near  the  western  extremity  of  Lake  Erie,  92  rriiles 
west  of  Cleveland  and  53  miles  southwest  of  Detroit.  It  was  first  settled  in 
1832,  and  incorporated  in  1836.  It  has  a  fine  harbor,  and  is  well  built.  Its 
streets  are  broad  and  regularly  laid  out.  It  has  very  extensive  railroads,  which 
centre  in  one  great  union  depot,  and  is  the  terminus  of  the  Miami  &  Erie  and 


CITY  OF  MEMPHIS. 


135 


Wabash  &  Erie  Canals,  together  7CX)  miles  in  length.  The  local  and  transit 
trade  is  immense.  It  has  45  churches,  a  convent,  3  asylums,  several  lines  of 
horse  railroad,  a  water  system  which  cost  $1,000,000,  a  fire  department  and 
police  system  which  are  first-class,  numerous  fine  hotels,  banks,  schools,  a  Free 
Public  Library,  numerous  newspapers,  and  a  Produce  Exchange.  Its  com 
merce  in  one  year  was,  in  exports,  $1,836,782 ;  imports,  $283,329.  The  total 
value  of  the  commerce  of  the  city  for  the  year  1885  was  $220,166,419.  Its  10 
grain  elevators  can  store  4,017,000  bushels.  In  one  year  the  deliveries  of  grain 
amounted  to  39,304,891  bushels.  The  manufactures  of  the  city  are  very 
extensive,  and  comprise  carriages,  wagons,  iron,  lumber,  sash  and  blinds, 
railroad  cars,  moldings,  steam-engines,  boilers,  pumps,  bricks,  etc.  The  whole- 
sale trade  is  very  important,  and  it  is  the  centre  of  a  large  retail  trade  with 
the  surrounding  country.    Population,  1870,  30,731  ;  1880,  50,000 ;  1886, 70,000. 


CITY  OF  MEMPHIS. 

Memphis  is  a  fine  commercial  city  in  Tennessee,  and  between  St.  Louis 
and  New  Orleans  the  largest  city  on  the  Mississippi.  It  is  the  capital  of 
Shelby  County.  It  is  420  miles  below  St.  Louis,  and  800  miles  above  New 
Orleans.  It  is  handsomely  built  on  the  fourth  Chickasaw  bluff,  70  feet  above 
the  highest  floods.  It  is  the  outlet  of  a  large  cotton  region.  It  has  fine 
public  buildings,  hotels,  and  theatres,  50  churches,  3  colleges,  100  schools, 
5  daily  and  10  other  newspapers,  10  banks,  and  several  insurance  companies; 
railways  connecting  it  with  New  Orleans,  Charleston,  Louisville,  Little  Rock, 
and  all  parts  of  the  country ;  with  several  foundries ;  10  of  the  largest  oil-mills 
in  the  United  States,  producing  vast  quantities  of  cotton-seed  oil  and  oil 
cake,  in  the  production  of  which  is  consumed  500,000  sacks  of  cotton  seed 
annually ;  manufactories  of  boilers,  machinery,  etc.  The  Mississippi  River  is 
the  scene  of  an  extensive  commerce.  There  i.-  a  Cotton  Exchange,  a  Custom- 
house, a  Chamber  of  Commerce,  and  a  Board  of  Health.  The  latter  have 
taken  stringent  measures  to  prevent  a  recurrence  of  the  yellow  fever.  In 
the  Civil  War  the  city  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Federal  forces  in  1862,  and 
was  the  base  of  military  operations  for  the  capture  of  Vicksburg,  July  4,  1863. 
Memphis  was  desolated  by  fearful  outbreaks  of  yellow  fever  in  the  summers 
of  1878  and  1879.  I"  January,  1880,  the  city  began  to  lay  sewers,  and  now 
have  50  miles  of  the  best  sewer  system  in  the  United  States,  and  also  have  a 
good  subsoil  drainage  system  of  about  50  miles  in  extent. 

The  city  is  ver>'  picturesque  when  viewed  from  the  river.  The  large  ware- 
houses along  the  bluff  present  a  fine  appearance.  There  is  a  fine  park  in  the 
centre  of  the  city.  The  streets  are  regular  and  broad.  There  are  numerous 
handsome  residences,  with  fine  lawns  and  gardens.  The  river  is  deep  enough 
to  float  the  largest  ships.  The  trade  of  Memphis  is  about  $75,000,000  per 
annum.  About  70  vessels  belong  to  the  port.  It  is  a  progressive  city,  and 
is  now  looked  on  as  the  coming  commercial  centre  of  the  Southwest. 


!.t 


iii' 


136  PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN   PROGRESS. 


^! 


'■  t  !il 


K 


li 


The  following  is  from  the  report  of  the  President  of  the  Taxing  District  of 
Shelby  County :  "  The  outstanding  bonded  indebtedness  of  the  Taxing  Dis- 
trict, issued  in  settlement  of  the  old  city  indebtedness  of  every  kind,  is  $3,186,. 
569.27,  and  against  this  we  have  assets  deemed  to  be  good  of  $721,751.97, 
which  would  leave  a  net  debt,  after  these  credits  have  been  applied,  of  $2,464,- 
817.30.  It  is  believed  that  the  present  financial  statement  is  in  two  principal 
respects  the  most  favorable  that  has,  or  could  have  been  made  in  the  past 
fifteen  years,  in  that — ist,  the  debt  of  your  municipal  governmerit  is  definitely 
known  and  fixed ;  and,  2d,  in  that  the  debt  is  less  than  it  has  been  in  the  past 
fifteen  years.  The  success  of  the  several  measures  inaugurated  with  a  view  to 
compromise  and  fund  the  debt  of  the  old  city  of  Memphis  has  been  largely 
due  to  the  active  and  efficient  aid  and  co-operation  of  a  number  of  prominent 
citizens."     Population  in  1870,40,226;  1886,  65,000. 


tH'\ 


CITY  OF  PETERSBURG. 

Petersburg  is  a  port  of  entry  of  Virginia,  on  the  south  bank  of  the 
Appomattox  River,  12  miles  above  its  junction  with  James  River,  at  City 
Point.  It  is  23  miles  south  of  Richmond.  Five  railways  contribute  to  make 
it  the  third  city  in  the  State  in  respect  of  population.  Petersburg  is  well 
built.  It  contains  churches  of  the  Presbyterians,  Methodists,  Episcopalians, 
Baptists,  and  Catholics.  There  are  here  several  cotton  and  woolen  factories, 
forges,  and  numerous  mills,  to  which  the  falls  in  the  river  furnish  extensive 
power.  In  the  campaign  of  1864,  Lieutenant-General  Grant,  commander  of 
the  Federal  army,  failing  to  take  Richmond,  besieged  Petersburg,  and  was 
repulsed  in  several  attacks  by  General  Robert  E.  Lee,  with  heavy  loss.  Ample 
evidences  of  the  operations  in  the  vicinity  are  still  to  be  seen.  A  leading 
point  visited  by  tourists  is  the  battle-field  beyond  Blandford  church,  where 
upon  the  brow  of  the  hill,  overlooking  the  ravine  which  separated  the  oppos- 
ing forces,  is  the  confused  yellow  mass  known  as  the  "  Crater  "  or  mine,  which 
was  tunnelled  by  Union  sappers  and  miners,  and  blown  up  in  order  to  effect  a 
breach  in  the  Confederate  line  of  defences.  Many  relics  may  be  found  around 
this  portion  of  the  field  still.  One  turns  with  relief  from  a  contemplation  of 
this  scene  to  the  beautiful  old  ruin  of  Blandford  church,  a  mossy  relic  long 
before  the  struggle  between  the  North  and  South.  Its  hallowed  churchyard 
contains  the  tombs  of  the  bravest  and  best  among  the  early  people  of  colonial 
Virginia. 

Petersburg  is  the  junction  point  with  the  Norfolk  &  Western  Railroad 
leading  to  Suffolk  and  Portsmouth,  opposite  Norfolk.  A  side  trip  may  be 
made  by  this  route  to  Fortress  Monroe,  which,  together  with  Newport  News, 
has  grown  into  a  great  winter  and  spring  coast  resort.  In  journeying  swiftly 
southward  through  the  great  pine  forests  of  North  Carolina  the  tourist  begins 
to  realize  the  balmy  influence  and  delightful  somnolence  that  betokens  his 


'• 


CITY  OF   DENVER. 


137 


approach  to  the  land  of  spring.  It  is  a  temptation  not  to  be  resisted  to  open 
the  window  and  lean  contentedly  back  in  a  delicious  dolce  far  niente,  noting 
with  listless  interest  the  odd  and  amusing  phases  of  life  and  types  of  Southern 
character  to  be  seen  at  the  stations  we  pass.  Population  in  1870,  18,950;  in 
1880,  21,000;  and  in  1886,  23,200. 


CITY  OF  DENVER. 

Denver,  the  principal  commercial  city  and  capital  of  Colorado,  is  situated 
on  the  South  Platte  River,  15  miles  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  Six 
railroads  connect  it  with  various  parts  of  the  continent.  It  is  5,000  or 
6,000  feet  above  the  sea,  occupying  several  levels  ascending  gradually 
toward  the  mountains.  It  commands  a  grand  view  of  peaks  covered  with 
perpetual  snow.  Its  commercial  and  manufacturing  interests  are  making 
great  strides,  and  its  population  is  rapidly  increasing.  The  climate  is  remark- 
able for  its  salu- 
brity, and  in  win- 
ter the  weather  is 
generally  mild. 
Between  July  and 
October  there  is 
scarcely  any  rain. 
In  1858  the  place 
was  uninhabited. 
Now  there  are 
numerous  fine 
public  buildings, 
various  manufac- 
tories, numerous 
smelting  and  re- 
fining works,  a 
United  States 
Mint,  and  many 
solid  business 
structures.  Its 
growtn  is  remark- 
able. It  has  sev- 
eral national  banks.  The  Denver  &  South  Park  and  Pacific  Railroad  connect 
It  with  Leadville,  a  new  city,  only  8  or  10  years  old,  with  a  population  of 
25,000,  situated  over  10,000  feet  above  the  sea,  and  surrounded  with  rich  silver 
mines,  the  product  of  which  in  one  year  is  estimated  at  $10,000,000.  The 
entire  State  is  pre-eminently  a  mineral  district,  and  to  this  owes  its  wonderful 
growth.    The  population  of  Denver  in  1870  was  4,759;  in  1880,  35,000;  and 


DENVER. 


% 


ff|n 


'  ii'i 


138   PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN   PROGRESS. 

in  1886,  JlfOOO.  In  some  parts  of  Colorado  there  are  occasional  storms 
of  wind  and  hail ;  otherwise,  "  an  air  more  delicious  to  breathe  cannot  any- 
where be  found." 


:P 


Mil! 


CITY  OF  CHARLESTON. 

Charleston  is  the  largest  city  and  commercial  emporium  of  South 
Carolina,  and  is  one  of  the  most  important  cities  of  the  South.  Columbia, 
which  is  situated  on  the  Congaree  River,  130  miles  from  Charleston,  is  the 
capital  of  the  State,  and  has  a  population  of  12,000.  Charleston,  which  is  a 
fine  city  and  seaport,  is  situated  between  the  Ashley  and  Cooper  Rivers, 
which  here  form  a  spacious  harbor,  extending  7  miles  to  the  Atlantic.  The 
city  occupies  about  5  square  miles,  and  has  a  water  front  of  about  10  miles. 
The  commerce  consists  mostly  of  exports.  The  foreign  commerce  comprises 
exports  to  the  value  of  about  $23,000,000  annually,  and  imports  to  the  amount 
of  $150,000;  of  the  exports  about  $18,000,000  is  in  cotton.    There  is  also  a 

large  com- 
merce with 
the  ports  of 
t  h  e  United 
States.  The 
manufactures 
as  compared 
with  the  com- 
merce are  un- 
important. 
They  consist 
principally  of 
fert  ilizers 
from  phos- 
g^  phat  e  ob- 
tained in  the 
vicinity.  The 
wh  o  le  sale 
trade  in  dry-goods,  boots  and  shoes,  hats,  caps,  clothing,  etc.,  is  extensive. 
There  are  12  banks,  and  3  railroads  terminate  here.  There  is  also  a  canal 
which  connects  with  the  Santee  River. 

An  atmosphere  of  interest,  such  as  attaches  to  no  other  city  of  the  South- 
em  land,  will  always  seem  perceptible  to  the  stranger  in  Charleston.  This  is 
due  to  the  important  events,  that,  forming  the  overture  of  a  long  and  terrible 
war,  had  their  scene  of  action  here.  The  scars  of  those  days  are  still  visible 
in  many  portions  of  the  city,  and  to  a  still  greater  extent  down  the  harbor, 
where  the  shapeless  heap  of  stone  and  brick  still  gathers  the  mold  of  Time, 
where  the  gallant  band  that  held  Fort  Sumter  passed  through  their  "  baptism 


CHARLESTON. 


ESS. 

il  storms 
mot  any- 


of  South 
Columbia, 
on,  is  the 
/hich  is  a 
;r  Rivers, 
itic.    The 
10  miles, 
comprises 
le  amount 
:  is  also  a 
g  e    com- 
ce    with 
ports   of 
;     United 
:e3.    The 
lufactures 
compared 
1  the  com- 
ce  are  un- 
portant. 
ly  consist 
icipally  of 
t  ilizers 
tn   phos- 
ate    ob- 
led  in  the 
inity.  The 
I  ol e  sale 
extensive. 
Iso  a  canal 

the  South- 
in.  This  is 
and  terrible 
still  visible 
the  harbor, 
)ld  of  Time, 
ir  "  baptism 


VIEWS 


AROtJND 


OITY  OP  CHARLESTON,  S.  0. 


1.  Institute  Hall,  1861.   S.  Ohamoteristlo  Street  Scene.    3.   City  Hall.   4.  East  Battery  ProiiMiUMl* 

5,  Entrance  to  Fort  Stunter— reKisterlng  names,    6.  Interior  of  Fort  SumMr. 

7.  Fisherman's  Basin.    8.  Fort  Sumter. 


11 


I  '    !! 


M 


III 


■  f 


I 


1 

[iij'ii 


I 


P I 


140  PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN   PROGRESS. 


of  fire."  Charleston  has  nearly  outgrown  her  chastisement,  and  turns  her 
scars  to  account  by  attracting  thousands  every  winter  who  might  otherwise 
never  enter  her  borders. 

A  single  day,  leisurely  arranged,  will  enable  the  stranger  to  see  all  that  is 
notable  here.  The  battery,  where  many  of  the  finest  homes  of  the  city  front 
on  the  harbor,  is  a  shady,  well-kept  place.  St.  Michael's  spire,  always  open  to 
visitors,  gives  a  superb  view  of  the  city  and  harbor,  with  the  surf  breaking 
beyond  historic  Morris  Island.  The  Mount  Pleasant  &  Sullivan's  Island 
Ferry  Company  run  frequent  boats  to  Sullivan's  Island,  where  Fort  Moultrie 
stands.  A  small  boat  will  take  the  curious  stranger  over  to  Fort  Sumter. 
Jtist  beside  the  gateway  of  Fort  Moultrie,  enclosed  by  a  small  iron  railing,  is 
the  grave  of  Oceola  (often  incorrectly  spelled  with  an  "  s  "),  the  Seminole,  who 
once  figured  so  prominently  m  national  history — an  implacable,  proud, 
thoroughbred  Indian,  who  died  a  prisoner  within  these  walls.  Magnolia 
Cemetery  is  well  worthy  of  a  visit. 

The  Magnolia  Gardens,  upon  the  Ashley  River,  about  20  miles  from  the 
city,  is  one  of  the  most  lovely  spots  in  the  South.  It  is  reached  either  by  the 
daily  excursion  ,  ceamers  or  by  train.  We  cannot  too  strongly  urge  the  visitor 
to  Charleston  to  devote  a  day  to  this  lovely  retreat  whose  beauties  no  illustra- 
tion could  adequately  portray. 

A  pleasant  side  trip  may  be  made  from  Yemassee,  the  junction  of  the 
Augusta  &  Port  Royal  Railroad,  while  en  route  between  Charleston  and 
Savannah  to  Port  Royal  and  the  ancient  city  of  Beaufort ;  the  former  has 
developed  a  large  shipping  trade  within  a  few  years,  and  the  latter  enjoys  the 
advantage  of  a  good  hotel.     Population  of  Charleston  in  1886,  63,ocx>. 


CITY  OF  SAN  ANTONIO. 

San  Antonio  is  a  city  of  Texas,  1 10  miles  southwest  of  Austin.  It  is  one 
of  the  oldest  Spanish  towns  in  America.  No  city  in  the  Union  is  so  peculiarly 
interesting  as  San  Antonio.  There  are  seven  Catholic  churches,  in  which 
services  are  held  in  the  English,  Spanish,  French,  German,  and  Polish  lan- 
guages. Mexicans  jostle  against  Indians,  and  John  Chinaman  washes  the 
linen  of  the  commercial  traveller.  Visitors  can  eat  at  night  on  the  plaza  the 
strangely-made  dishes  prepared  by  the  natives  of  Mexico.  Strangers,  while 
making  purchases  of  curiosities  in  the  shopS;  wonder  at  the  massive  thickness 
of  the  walls,  and  hear,  with  surprise,  that  200  years  ago  or  more  the  Spanish 
troops  found  shelter  there  from  the  attacks  of  the  Indians.  It  is  a  strange 
country,  within  five  days*  rail  from  New  York,  and  when  travellers  pause  there 
a  little  for  rest,  while  en  route  for  California  and  Mexico,  they  will  find  that  it 
is  unnecessary  to  visit  Europe  in  quest  of  those  quaint  old  vestiges  of  a  past 
generation,  or  those  strange  sights  which  the  new  world  of  the  North  does 
not  afford. 


CITY  OF  SAN   ANTONIO. 


141 


It  is  the  county  seat  of  Bexar  County,  Texas.  It  is  situated  on  the  San 
Pedro  and  San  Antonio  Rivers.  It  is  probably  the  most  important  place  in 
West  Texas.  The  principal  business  streets  are  Commerce  and  Market,  which 
run  parallel  from  the  principal  square.  The  business  portion  has  been  mostly 
rebuilt  since  i860.  About  one-third  of  the  population  are  Germans,  and  one- 
third  Mexicans.  It  comprises  three  divisions,  che  city  proper  betv/een  the 
rivers;  Alamo,  which  is  east  of  the  San  Antonio  River;  and  Chihuahua, 
which  is  west  of  the  San  Pedro  River.  Alamo  if  mostly  occupied  by  Germans, 
while  the  Mexican  quarter  is  in  Chihuahua.  In  the  city  proper  there  are 
many  fine  business  buildings.    In  the  Mexican  quarter  the  houses  are  mostly 


1 


A    STREET    IN    SAN    ANTONIO, 


built  of  stone  and  wood,  and  are  only  one  story  high.  There  is  a  public  park 
on  the  banks  of  the  San  Pedro.  The  city  contains  an  arsenal,  a  Roman 
Catholic  Cathedral,  College,  and  Convent,  a  Court-house,  and  banks.  It  is  a 
centre  of  trade  for  the  outlying  country,  the  principal  productions  of  which 
are  wool,  cotton,  hides,  and  cattle.  It  has  very  important  and  growing  manu- 
factures, and  considerable  water-power.  The  manufactures  include  extensive 
flour-mills,  breweries,  ice  factories,  etc.  Invalids  find  the  climate  of  San 
Antonio  very  desirable,  as  it  is  mild  and  genial. 

The  place  was  settled  by  the  Spaniards  in  17 14.     The  population  at  the 
present  time  is  25,000.     In  the  Texan  Revolution  of  1836  it  was  the  scene  of 


J  '1 


142  PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN   PROGRESS. 

the  massacre  of  the  Alamo,  when  a  garrison  of  1 50  men,  led  by  Colonel  Travis, 
and  including  David  Crockett,  was  surrounded  by  several  thousand  Mexicans, 
and  after  a  heroic  resistance  killed  to  the  last  man. 


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CITY  OF  JACKSONVILLE. 

Jacksonville,  Florida,  is  situated  on  the  St.  John's  River.  It  is  a  flour- 
ishing city  and  the  metropolis  of  the  State.  It  is  much  resorted  to  by  Northern 
invalids  on  account  of  the  salubrity  of  its  climate.  In  Jacksonville  everybody 
seems  on  the  move.  Its  street-corners  are  built  up  with  hotels,  and  shops, 
and  ticket-offices.     It  is  a  mart,  and  the  sick  man  must  needs  partake  of  the 


BAY    STREET,    JACKSONVILLE. 

excitement  if  he  stops  here.  Perhaps  he  needs  diverting ;  if  so,  let  him  stay. 
If  rest  is  sought,  he  will  do  better  to  go  up  the  river  to  some  of  the  smaller 
points.  Jacksonville  has  a  score  of  hotels  and  a  legion  of  boarding-houses. 
One-half  of  the  population  waits  upon  the  other  half.  Bay  Street,  extending 
for  a  mile  or  more  along  the  river,  is  built  up  closely,  some  of  the  structures 


CITY  OF  WILMINGTON. 


U3 


being  large  and  costly.  The  hotels  are  chiefly  of  wood.  The  population  of 
the  city  in  1880  was  i&,ooo;  in  1886  it  is  estimated  at  25,000.  It  is  a  growing 
city,  and  great  excitement  prevails  in  the  winter,  when  the  place  is  full  of 
invalids,  not  only  from  the  North,  but  from  various  parts  of  the  globe. 

Tallahassee  is  the  capital  of  the  State,  and  has  a  population  of  4,000;  St. 
Augustine,  3,000.  Key  West  is  built  on  an  island  of  the  same  name;  the 
population  is  about  7,000.  Pensacola  has  a  population  of  about  5,000,  which 
is  about  the  same  population  as  Fernandina  contains.  The  productions  of 
Florida  consist  of  lumber,  cotton,  rice,  cocoanuts,  tobacco,  sugar-cane,  arrow- 
root,  hemp,  flax,  coffee,  oranges,  lemons,  bananas,  limes,  olives,  grapes,  and 
pineapples,  which  grow  in  great  quantities  and  are  of  very  fine  flavor.  Among 
the  other  products  may  be  mentioned  Indian  corn,  beans,  sweet  potatoes, 
peas,  Irish  potatoes,  barley,  buckwheat,  hops,  etc. 

Many  of  the  people  of  the  State  have  grown  wealthy  on  the  cultivation 
and  export  of  oranges  and  other  fruits.  The  manufacture  of  what  is  known 
as  "  Key  West  cigars  "  is  an  important  industry,  and  has  done  much  for  the 
people  of  Key  West.  Game  and  fish  are  to  be  found  in  great  quantities  in 
all  parts  of  ^he  State.  In  the  forests,  rivers,  and  swamps  deer,  wild  turkeys, 
partridges  geese,  ducks,  and  other  game  abound  in  great  quantities.  On  all 
the  coast  can  be  found  green  turtle,  oysters,  sheepshead,  red  fish,  and  mullet ; 
and  in  iA  of  the  inland  waters  can  be  found  fresh-water  fish  in  great  variety. 
Sponges  of  a  fine  quality  can  be  found  in  great  quantities  along  the  reefs,  and 
are  a  considerable  part  of  the  trade.  The  pasturage  of  the  savannahs  is 
unexcelled,  cattle  requiring  very  little  attention,  and  are  seldom  housed  in  the 
winter.     Key  West  was  nearly  destroyed  by  fire  in  the  spring  of  1886. 


CITY  OF  WILMING-TON. 

Wilmington  is  the  principal  commercial  centre  in  Delaware  ;  it  is  a  port 
of  entry  and  the  largest  city  in  the  State.  It  is  situated  at  the  junction  of 
Christiana  and  Brandywine  Creeks,  28  miles  from  Philadelphia  on  the  Phila- 
delphia,  Wilmington  and  Baltimore  Railroad,  and  is  the  terminus  of  the  Wil- 
mington  and  Reading,  and  the  Wilmington  and  Western  Railroads.  The 
buildings  are  mostly  of  brick,  and  the  streets  meet  at  right  angles.  Among 
the  public  buildings  are  the  City  Hall,  Post-oflfice,  Custom-house,  the  Library 
and  Institute,  the  Opera-house,  and  a  large  hospital.  The  city  was  incor- 
porated in  1832,  and  first  settled  in  1730.  It  has  about  50  churches,  numerous 
publ'c  schools,  academies,  banks,  newspapers,  a  good  fire  department,  police 
system,  gas  works,  horse-cars,  etc. 

The  manufactures  consist  of  iron  steamships,  railroad  cars,  locomotives,  car- 
riages, paper,  powder,  agricultural  implements,  machinery,  cotton  and  woolen 
goods,  flour,  boots  and  shoes,  leather,  and  bricks,  which  are  produced  in  great 
quantities.  The  annual  products  of  the  various  factories  have  been  estimated 
at  $30,000,000. 


144    PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN   PROGRESS. 


I  ;.i 


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II 

ii 


Wilmington  is  a  very  handsome  city,  and  has  many  picturesque  water 
views.  Its  commerce  with  local  cities  is  extensive.  Its  foreign  exports  and 
imports  are  mostly  conducted  through  Baltimore,  Philadelphia,  and  New  York. 
Population,  in  1870,  31,000;  in  1880,  42,500;  in  1886,  60,000. 


CITY  OF  MOBILE. 

Mobile  is  the  only  seaport  and  the  largest  city  of  Alabama.  It  is  situated 
on  a  beautiful  plain,  on  the  west  side  of  Mobile  River,  at  its  entrance  to  Mobile 
Bay,  which  opens  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  It  is  141  miles  from  New  Orleans, 
and  180  miles  from  Montgomery,  the  capital  of  the  State.  The  city,  which  is 
elevated  16  feet  above  the  highest  tides,  rises  gradually  from  the  river,  and  is 
laid  out  with  fine,  broad,  shaded  streets.  It  was  originally  settled  in  1702  by 
the  French,  and  for  years  it  was  the  most  important  place  in  the  Louisiafia 

district.  It 
was  visited 
by  famines 
and  by  epi- 
demics. At 
this  period 
the  settle- 
ment was  lo- 
cated about 
8  miles  south 
of  its  present 
site.  In  1706 
the  women  of 
the  place,  be- 
ing dissatis- 
fied with  In- 
dian corn  as  the  principal  article  of  food,  revolted.  This  was  known  as  the 
"Petticoat  Insurrection."  The  place  was  nearly  destroyed  in  171 1  by  a 
hurricane  and  flood  ;  the  people  then  decided  to  move  with  their  effects  to  a 
more  desirable  location,  and  selected  the  present  site  of  the  city.  In  1763,  at 
the  Treaty  of  Paris,  the  city  was  ceded  to  Great  Britain.  After  remaining  in 
the  possession  of  the  British  about  20  years  it  was  ceded  to  Spain.  In  the 
War  of  1812  it  was  surrendered  to  General  Wilkinson.  It  was  incorporated 
as  a  city  in  1819,  and  during  the  Civil  War  was  in  the  possession  of  the  Con- 
federates. Admiral  Farragut  with  his  fleet  sailed  up  Mobile  Bay  in  August, 
1864,  and  the  renowned  engagement  with  the  forts  and  the  enemy's  fleet  took 
place ;  the  latter  was  destroyed  or  captured,  and  the  forts  surrendered.  The 
remaining  fortifications  were  carried  by  assault,  and  early  *in  the  following 
year  the  city  surrendered. 

Mobile  is  lighted  by  gas,  has  numerous  lines  of  horse  railroads,  and  several 
railroads  connect  it  with  all  parts  of  the  country.    It  has  a  fine  Custom-house 


MOBILE. 


CITY  OF  NASHVILLE. 


«4I 


and  Post-office,  City  Hall  and  Market-house,  theatre.  Odd  Fellows'  Hall 
cathedral,  30  churches,  4  orphan  asylums,  several  hospitals,  a  medical  college, 
St.  Joseph's  College  (a  Jesuit  institution),  a  Convent  of  the  Visitation,  and 
Academy  for  Young  Ladies.  Mobile  has  several  ship-yards,  foundries,  and 
cotton-presses.  The  chief  business  is  the  export  of  cotton,  timber,  and  naval 
stores.  '  ' 

Mobile  Bay  is  a  handsome  sheet  of  water,  about  30  miles  in  length  and 
about  12  miles  wide;  vessels  drawing  more  than  i6}4  or  17  feet  of  water  can- 
not reach  the  city  except  at  high  tide ;  but  improvements  are  now  being  made 
to  a  depth  of  22  feet  and  200  feet  wide.  Its  cotton  trade  is  only  exceeded  in 
the  South  by  New  Orleans,  its  exports  of  cotton  for  one  year  amounting  to 
nearly  $6,cxx),ooo,  while  its  total  exports  were  nearly  $7,ooo,ocx) ;  the  imports 
are  over  $5CXD,ooo  annually.  There  is  a  line  of  steamers  between  Mobile  and 
Liverpool,  and  numerous  vessels  and  steamboats  engaged  in  the  river  and 
coast  trade.  Its  traffic  in  naval  stores  and  lumber  is  extensive.  Its  exports 
to  foreign  ports  last  year  in  lumber  and  timber  were  $6i7,cxx),  and  the  value  of 
rosin  and  turpentine  product  last  year  was  $1,027,166.  The  city  extends  along 
the  river  five  or  six  miles,  and  runs  back  about  a  mile  and  a  half.  Population, 
1886,  40,cxx). 


'i'\ 


CITY  OF  NASHVILLE. 

Nashville,  the  capital  of  Tennessee,  is  situated  on  the  Cumberland  River, 
235  miles  from  its  mouth,  with  steamboat  navigation  of  over  400  miles  above 
the  city.  It  was  made  the  State  capital  in  1826.  The  State  House  is  a  very 
handsome  building,  built  of  Tennessee  stone,  quarried  within  300  yards  of  the 
building.  It  is  located  on  an  abrupt  eniinence  in  the  centre  of  the  city.  It  is 
112  by  239  feet,  and  is  206  feet  to  the  top  of  tower.  The  corner-stone  was 
laid  July  4,  1845,  and  first  occupied  by  the  Legislature,  October  3,  1853.  The 
total  cost  was  $1,500,000.  The  architect  and  the  chairman  of  the  Building 
Committee  were  by  act  of  Legislature  buried  in  vaults  constructed  within 
the  walls  of  the  northeast  and  southeast  comers. 

Nashville  is  a  handsome  city,  built  on  a  series  of  hills  affording  ample 
drainage,  and  is  noted  for  its  enterprise,  almost  unparalleled  growth  since  the 
war,  and  the  culture  and  hospitality  of  its  citizens.  It  has  a  very  advantageous 
and  well-arranged  system  of  railroad  facilities,  and  is  the  largest  commercial 
city  in  the  State.  The  amount  of  capital  invested  on  January  i,  1884,  in  the 
four  leading  cities  in  the  State  was  $10,865,000,  of  which  Nashville  had 
$4,995,500,  being  nearly  double  either  the  others.  There  are  2,670  business 
firms  and  companies,  of  which  708  are  engaged  in  manufacturing.  The  whole- 
sale trade  of  the  city  gives  employment  to  about  700  commercial  travellers. 
There  are  120  incorporated  companies  and  10  street-car  lines.  There  are 
employed  within  the  limits  of  the  post-office  carrier  delivery — not  including 
railroad  shops — about  5,300  mechanics  and  skilled  workmen.  During  the  year 
1883,  $1,212,000  was  invested  in  machinery  within  the  above-mentioned  limits. 


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146    PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN   PROGRESS. 

There  are  3  cotton  factories — one  of  which  employs  over  800  hands — and  a 
woolen  factory.  This  is  the  first  hardwood  lumber  market  in  the  United 
States,  and  the  fifth  general  lumber  market,  having  25  saw  and  planing  mills, 
and  33  firms  engaged  in  the  lumber  business.  It  is  the  fifth  boot  and  shoe 
market  in  the  United  States;  the  largest  candy  and  cracker  manufacturing 
city  in  the  South,  and  does  an  enormous  wholesale  dry-goods,  grocery,  and 
drug  business.  In  stoves  and  hollow-ware,  Nashville's  manufactures  have  a 
good  trade  as  far  west  as  California  and  north  to  Chicago,  and  have  recently 
secured  profitable  Government  contracts  in  competition  with  the  best  Northern 
and  Eastern  houses.  Its  flouring  mills  have  a  daily  capacity  of  a0out  1,800 
barrels.  It  has  a  fine  electric  fire  alarm  and  about  150  Brush  lights.  The 
local  Telephone  Exchange  has  2,100  miles  of  wire  in  the  city,  supply- 
ing 1,300  telephones  within  the  city  limits,  besides  giving  connection 
with  132  towns  in  Middle  Tennessee.  There  is  a  fine  electric  time 
system,  furnishing  standard  time  from  a  central  clock,  with  a  service  of  375 
clocks,  and  is  rapidly  increasing.  The  banking  capital  in  national  banks  is 
$3,100,000,  besides  several  private  banks.  The  individual  deposits  in  the 
national  banks  average  over  $4,000,000.  The  latest  taxable  valuation  of  prop- 
erty gives  $570  to  each  inhabitant.  The  iron  interests  of  the  South  are 
largely  controlled  here,  one  concern  alone  representing  $10,000,000  capital 
employed  in  making  coke  and  iron  in  Tennessee  and  Northern  Alabama. 
The  city  is  divided  by  the  Cumberland  River,  which  is  spanned  at  this  point 
by  a  new  iron  truss  bridge,  639  feet  long,  55  feet  7  inches  wide,  and  double 
roadway. 

An  eminent  geologist  and  mineralogist  has  said,  "  that  if  a  circle  were  drawn 
around  Nashville,  with  a  radius  of  120  miles,  and  paths  made  to  each  degree 
of  the  circle,  1 10  of  them  would  pass  over  inexhaustible  and  easily  available 
deposits  of  iron." 

Among  the  prominent  public  buildings  are  the  Court-house,  3  universities, 
hospital.  Custom-house  and  Post-office,  County  Jail,  Market-house,  2  theatres, 
a  Masonic  Temple,  an  Opera-house,  State  Penitentiary,  Free  Academy, 
Protestant  and  Catholic  orphan  asylums;  66  churches,  of  12  denominations, 
47  white  and  17  colored;  47  daily,  weekly,  and  monthly  publications.  It 
has  an  extensive  public  school  system,  with  10  large  buildings  accommodating 
6,000  white  children,  and  4  buildings  accommodating  2,000  colored  children. 
The  value  of  public  school  buildings  is  $230,000.  Near  the  city  are  the  State 
Lunatic  Asylum,  and  the  "  Hermitage,"  once  the  residence  of  President 
Jackson.  Nashville  was  occupied  by  the  Federal  troops  in  1862,  and  here  the 
Federal  General  Thomas  gained  a  victory  over  General  Hood. 

The  city  is  noted  for  its  handsome  private  residences.  A  very  extensive 
system  of  water-works  supplies  the  city  with  pure  water  from  the  river.  The 
educational  facilities  are  unsurpassed  in  the  South.  The  Fisk  University  for 
colored  teachers  was  founded  in  1867,  the  Central  Tennessee  College  for  colored 
students  in  1866,  and  the  Vanderbilt  University  in  1875,  named  after  the  late 
Commodore  Vanderbilt.    The  Nashville  Medical  College  and  numerous  other 


CITY  OF  SAVANNAH. 


147 


institutions,  including  a  State  and  Public  Library,  the  Roger  Williams  Univer- 
sity, academies,  seminaries,  private  schools,  and  business  colleges,  adorn  the 
city.  The  place  was  first  settled  in  1779;  incorporated  as  a  city  in  1806. 
Population  in  1870,  25,865;  1880,  43,cxx);  1886  (within  the  postal  carriers' 
delivery),  75,000. 


CITY  OF  SAVANNAH. 

Savannah  is  a  fine  city  and  port  of  entry  of  Georgia.  It  is  situated 
on  the  right  bank  of  the  Savannah  River,  18  miles  from  its  mouth, 
and  90  miles  from  Charleston.  It  is  greater  than  Mobile  or  Charleston 
as  a  port  of  commerce,  and  it  is  the  largest  port  for  shipment  of 
naval  stores  in  the  United  States.  The  principal  trade  of  the  State 
centres  at  this  point,  and  consists  mainly  of  cotton,  rice,  and  lumber. 
Great  facilities  are  afforded  by  the  Savannah  River  for  internal  com- 
merce. A  canal,  16  miles  long,  connects  this  river  with  the  Ogeechee 
River.  Nearly 
1 ,000  vessels 
enter  and  clear 
the  port  annu- 
ally, with  an 
aggregate  ton- 
nage of  nearly 
1,250,000. 

Savannah  is 
the  beau-ideal 
of  an  old-time 
Southern 
town.  The 
visitor  will  fall 
in  love  with 
the  shady 
vistas  of  the 
streets,  and  re- 
member with  pleasure  the  parks  set  with  monuments  that  alternate  the 
squares.  Bonaventure  Cemetery  is  at  once  the  saddest  yet  most  charming 
spot  one  will  encounter  in  a  year  of  travel.  The  great  live-oaks  stretch  their 
witch-like  arms  and  join  hands  across  the  avenues,  while  from  every  branch 
and  twig,  like  drapings  of  woe,  depends  the  long  and  swaying  Spanish  gray 
moss.  The  Savannah  hotels  are  large  and  well  kept.  1  ne  visitor  will  find  a 
great  deal  at  the  rooms  of  the  Georgia  Historical  Society  to  interest  him. 
The  scenes  among  the  warehouses  and  clusters  of  shipping  are  extremely 
animated. 

Savannah  is  the  terminal  station  of  several  railroads.    The  climate  is  very 
pleasant  in  winter,  and  is  not  considered  unhealthy  at  any  season.    The  city  has 


SAVANNAH. 


% 


148    PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN   PROGRESS. 


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a  fine  harbor,  and  the  river  is  navigable  as  far  as  Augusta.  It  is  built  on  a  sandy 
plain,  40  feet  above  the  river,  with  broad  streets  shaded  by  beautiful  trees. 
Its  chief  edifices  are  the  Custom-house,  City  Exchange,  Court-house,  State 
Arsenal,  theatre,  St.  Andrew's  Hall,  Oglethorpe  Hall,  market,  3  hospitals, 
asylums,  and  Masonic  Hall,  where  in  1861  the  ordinance  of  secession  was 
passed.  The  exports  are  about  $5o,500,cxx),  consisting  of  cotton,  rice,  lumber, 
etc.  The  cotton  exported  annually  amounts  to  850,000  bales;  imports, 
$1,000,000.  Vessels  of  upward  of  22  feet  draught  discharge  and  load  three 
miles  below  the  harbor.  City  expenditures  for  1885,  $595,325.22  ;  balance  on 
hand,  $43,340.82  ;  total  bonded  debt  of  the  city,  December  31, 1885,  $3,737,200, 
at  5  per  cent,  per  annum. 

Savannah  is  surrounded  by  marshes  and  islands,  and  on  the  river  side  is 
defended  by  Forts  Pulaski  and  Jackson.  It  was  founded  in  1733  by  the 
English  General  Oglethorpe.  In  1776,  a  British  fleet,  attempting  to  take  the 
town,  was  repulsed  after  a  severe  action ;  but  it  was  taken  in  1778,  and  held 
in  1789  against  the  combined  French  and  American  forces.  In  the  late  war, 
after  many  unsuccessful  attacks  by  sea,  it  was  taken  by  General  Sherman  in 
February,  1865.  As  a  cotton  port  it  is  inferior  to  New  Orleans  only.  The 
manufactures  are  not  important,  and  consist  of  the  products  of  foundries, 
planing  and  flouring  mills,  and  a  large  cotton-mill. 

In  the  park  is  a  Confederate  monument ;  and  in  Johnson  Square  an  obelisk 
to  the  memory  of  General  Greene  and  Count  Pulaski.  The  Pulaski  monument 
in  Monterey  Square  is  55  feet  high,  of  marble,  surmounted  by  a  Statue  of 
Liberty,  and  is  considered  one  of  the  finest  works  of  the  kind  in  the  Union. 
The  city  has  35  churches,  a  Public  Library,  Historical  Society,  several  banks, 
and  an  excellent  school  system.  It  has  had  two  great  fires,  one  in  1796  (loss, 
$1,000,000),  the  other  in  1820  (loss  over  $4,000,000).  Its  Police  and  Fire 
Departments  are  very  efBcient ;  the  latter  is  now  a  paid  department,  reinforced 
by  "  call  men." 

In  Georgia  the  tops  of  the  hills  are  mostly  covered  with  forests  of  pine, 
oak,  palmetto,  ash,  hickory,  cypress,  black-walnut,  cedar,  and  mulberry.  The 
agricultural  products  of  the  State  are  cotton,  wheat  and  other  grain,  maize, 
tobacco,  sugar-cane,  indigo,  rice,  etc.  Cotton  is  one  of  the  great  articles  of 
commerce,  as  is  also  tobacco,  indigo,  canes,  timber,  maize,  and  deer-skins. 
The  population  of  Savannah  in  1880  was  33,000,  and  in  1886,  42,000. 


CITY  OF  ATLANTA. 

Atlanta  is  a  port  of  entry,  a  fine  city,  and  the  capital  of  Georgia.  It  is 
called  the  "  Gate  City."  It  is  destined  to  be  a  city  of  great  importance,  as  it 
is  the  terminus  of  all  the  railroads  of  the  State.  There  is  little  of  the  con- 
ventional South  about  Atlanta.  The  energy,  persistence,  and  phenomenal 
growth  of  this  city  have  won  for  it  the  sobriquet  of  the  "  Chicago  of  the  South." 
The  new  Kimball  House,  built  upon  the  hotel  of  the  same  name  recently 
destroyed  by  fire,  adds  greatly  to  the  already  excellent  hotel  accprnmodations 


CITY  OF  ATLANTA. 


l: 


m 


it  fonoo  d9  l«on  Sinlog.   8.  U.  S.  Custom  House  and  Post  Office.   8.  In  the  Oonunercial  Quortor. 

i  ynioD  Depot  6.  Feaobtree  Street. 


ISO    PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN   PROGRESS. 


of  the  city.  Its  streets  are  laid  out,  or  perhaps  we  should  say  wander,  with  a 
freedom  from  relation  to  the  cardinal  points  of  the  compass,  which  should 
make  Boston  envious,  but  they  are  bright,  wide,  and  shady  streets.  There  is 
not  a  prettier  avenue  anywhere  in  the  land  than  Peach-tree  Street,  which 
bears  the  same  relation  to  Atlanta  that  Euclid  Avenue  does  to  Cleveland. 
The  surrounding  country,  besides  being  rich  in  grain  and  cotton,  contains 
gold,  iron,  and  other  valuable  minerals.  Atlanta  was  destroyed  by  General 
Sherman,  November,  1864. 

The  large  negro  population  and  the  heavy  traffic  in  cotton  are  almost  the 
only  features  which  proclaim  Atlanta  as  a  Southern  centre.  As  the  city  has 
been  chiefly  rebuilt  since  the  war,  the  prevalent  styles  of  architecture  are 
modern  and  pleasing.  The  United  States  Custom-house  and  Post-office  is  a 
handsome  structure  in  the  heart  of  the  city.  Upon  Washington  and  other 
leading  streets  there  are  many  large  and  costly  churches  of  several  denomina- 
tions. 

After  the  war,  Atlanta  speedily  recovered  from  almost  complete  ruin,  and 
within  two  years  had  as  great  a  population  as  when  the  war  began.  It 
became  the  capital  of  the  State  in  1868.  Among  the  public  institutions  are 
the  Oglethorpe  University,  the  North  Qeorgia  Female  College,  the  Atlanta 
Medical  College,  and  the  Atlanta  University  for  colored  students. 

From  the  high  ground  occupied  by  the  McPherson  Barracks,  in  the  north 
western  portion  of  the  city,  a  very  fine  outlook  upon  the  city's  environment 
may  be  had.  Not  far  away  is  Kennesaw  Mountain,  the  scene  of  much 
sanguinary  fighting,  and  away  to  the  north  are  the  pale  outlines  of  the 
Tennessee  Mountains,  famed  through  the  names  of  Lookout,  Mission  Ridge, 
Chickamauga,  and  Chattanooga.  Within  the  limits  of  the  city  and  in  its 
immediate  vicinage  are  many  huge  yellow  mounds,  portions  of  the  cordon 
of  defences  which  extended  around  the  city,  upon  which  the  grass  has  never 
grown.  Atlanta  is  built  on  an  elevated  plateau,  1,100  feet  above  tide-water, 
and  is  singularly  dry,  cool,  and  healthy. 

Atlanta,  unlike  her  sedate  sister  cities  of  the  South,  owes  her  rapid  growth 
and  commercial  importance  to  her  favorable  position  and  her  great  spirit  of 
enterprise.  Her  railroads  have  direct  lines  to  all  sections  of  the  country.  In 
the  last  ten  years  it  has  grown  rapidly,  and  given  great  impetus  to  the  new 
industries  of  the  South.  It  has  vast  cotton-mills,  and  immense  iron  rolling- 
mills;  these  give  employment  to  a  large  number  of  persons.  Population 
about  52,000. 


f';  ■•; 


CITY  OF  ROCHESTER. 

Rochester  is  a  commercial  city  and  port  of  entry,  situated  on  both  side. 
of  the  Genesee  River,  7  miles  south  of  its  entrance  into  Lake  Ontario.  It  is 
the  capital  of  Monroe  County.  It  is  230  miles  from  Albany.  It  is  located 
on  an  elevated  site,  which  covers  about  17  square  miles.  Its  streets  are 
shaded,  and  generally  from  50  to  100  feet  wide.    It  is  the  terminus  of  the 


CITY  OF  UTICA. 


I5» 


Rochester  &  Pittsburgh  and  numerous  other  railways.  It  is  crossed  by  the  Erie 
Canal  and  the  New  York  Central  Railway.  Owing  to  its  advantageous  situation 
it  has  grown  very  rapidly ;  by  means  of  the  Genesee  it  has  easy  access  to  the 
lakes,  while  its  railroads  and  canals  give  it  communication  with  the  fertile  coun- 
try by  which  it  is  surrounded ;  besides,  it  has  an  immense  advantage  in  water- 
power.  The  numerous  falls  of  the  Genesee  River  within  its  boundaries 
amount  to  268  feet  in  perpendicular  height.  The  upper  falls  of  the  Genesee, 
a  cataract  of  96  feet,  are  in  the  centre  of  the  city;  a  mile  or  two  below  are 
two  other  falls,  one  84  feet  and  the  other  25.  The  river  runs  through  a  deep 
gorge  120  feet  high.  As  a  result  of  this  immense  water-power  it  has  become 
one  of  the  principal  markets  of  the  flour  trade,  and  has  some  of  the  largest 
flour-mills  in  the  Union,  besides  numerous  other  extensive  manufacturing 
establishments. 

Rochester  was  settled  in  1810,  and  incorporated  as  a  village  in  1817.  It 
was  first  laid  out  by  Nathaniel  Rochester,  an  American  pioneer.  It  was 
incorporated  as  a  city  in  1834.  The  city  is  very  handsome  and  well  built. 
The  canal  crosses  the  river  on  a  fine  aqueduct  containing  seven  arches.  Main 
Street  is  the  principal  thoroughfare  and  promenade.  It  is  in  the  centre  of 
the  city,  and  crosses  the  river,  which  is  spanned  by  a  substantial  bridge. 

Among  the  principal  buildings  may  be  mentioned  the  County  Court- 
house; the  City  Hall,  with  a  tower  175  feet  high;  the  high-school  building, 
the  Powers  block,  and  the  Warren  Astronomical  Observatory,  the  finest  private 
observatory  in  the  world.  The  University  of  Rochester  occupies  large  buildings 
in  the  eastern  part  of  the  city.  It  was  founded  by  the  Baptists  in  1850,  and 
the  grounds,  consisting  of  23  acres,  are  beautifully  laid  out.  There  are  about 
70  churches,  a  fine  public  school  system  employing  over  200  teachers,  nearly 
50  public  and  private  schools,  a  theological  seminary,  an  athenaeum,  hospitals, 
and  reformatory.  The  nurserj'  trade  of  Rochester  has  assumed  vast  propor- 
tions, and  is  not  surpassed  by  that  of  any  other  place  in  the  world. 

Mount  Hope  Cemetery  is  beautifully  laid  out,  and  is  an  ornament  to  the 
city.  The  population  of  Rochester  was,  in  1820,  1,502;  in  1840,20,191;  in 
i860,  48,243;  in  1870,  62,386;  in  1880,  89,363;  and  in  1886,  115,000.  The 
city  expenditures  in  one  year  were  $1,078,038,  making  about  $io/>er  capita. 


% 


CITY  OF  UTICA. 

Utica  is  a  city  of  New  York  and  county  seat  of  Oneida  County.  It  is 
situated  at  the  junction  of  the  Erie  and  Chenango  Canals  on  the  Mohawk 
River.  It  is  95  miles  west-northwest  of  Albany.  The  city,  regularly  and 
handsomely  built,  rises  from  the  south  bank  of  the  river  on  a  gradual  eleva- 
tion, the  ground  generally  being  level.  Among  its  buildings  are  a  city  hall, 
United  States  Court-house  and  Post-office,  opera-house,  public  halls,  34 
churches,  large  hotels,  banks,  cotton-mills,  woolen-mills,  a  State  lunatic 
asylum,  Catholic  and   Protestant  orphan  asylums,  academies,  and  schools. 


152    PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN   PROGRESS. 

There  are  1 1  newspapers  and  periodicals,  of  which  2  are  Welsh  and  i  German. 
In  1813  it  had  a  population  of  1,700.  It  was  incorporated  as  a  city  in  1832. 
At  the  period  of  the  Revolution  Utica  was  a  frontier  trading-post,  and  the 
site  of  Fort  Schuyler,  built  to  guard  the  settlements  against  the  French  and 
Indians. 

It  is  connected  with  various  parts  of  the  country  by  the  New  York 
Central,  the  Utica  &  Black  River,  and  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western 
Railroads.  Its  principal  business  street  is  very  handsome,  and  contains  fine 
substantial  blocks  of  buildings.  It  impresses  a  stranger  with  being  a  live, 
active  place.  It  covers  a  large  extent  of  territory.  It  has  numerous  public 
parks,  a  public  library,  and  a  mechanics'  association.  It  is  the  centre  of  a 
rich  dairy  and  farming  district ;  it  is  the  largest  cheese  market  in  America. 
Its  manufactures  consist  of  clothing,  steam-engines,  boots  and  shoes,  pianos, 
agricultural  implements,  cotton  and  woolen  goods,  carriages,  carpets,  etc. 
Population,  1880,  34,000;  1S86,  40,000. 


CITY  OF  GALVESTON. 

Galveston  is  the  most  important  commercial  city  and  seaport  in  Texas. 
It  is  situated  in  a  county  of  the  same  name  on  Galveston  Island,  at  the  open 
ing  of  Galveston  Bay  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.     Its  harbor  is  the  finest  in  the 
State ;  it  has  14  feet  of  water  over  the  bar  at  low  tide.    The  bay  extends 
north  to  the  mouth  of  Trinity  River,  a  distance  of  35  miles,  and  is  12  to  18 
miles  wide,  and  is  a  very  handsome  sheet  of  water.     The  island  of  Galveston 
is  28  miles  in  length,  and  about  2  to  3  miles  wide.     Its  average  elevation 
above  the  sea  level  is  only  5   feet.     The  streets  of  the  city  are   straight, 
spacious,   and   elegant ;    and   its   principal   buildings — the   Roman   Catholic 
University  of  St.  Mary's,  the  Roman  Catholic  Cathedral,  and  the  Episcopal 
Church — are  large,  imposing  edifices  of  brick  in  the  Gothic  style.     Galveston 
has  18  churches,  2  libraries,  a  convent  of  Ursuline  nuns,  a  medical  college,  an 
orphan  asylum,  hospitals,  over  10  miles  of  street  railway,  and  a  number  of 
schools  of  various  kinds.     It  has  railroads  connecting  it  with  all  parts  of  the 
country,  and  is  connected  by  steamship  lines  with  Liverpool,  New  Orlear 
New  York,  and  the  coast  towns  of  Texas  as  far  as  Mexico,  and  by  tnU 
vessels  with  countries  in  Europe,  Mexico,  the  West  Indies,  and  S( 
ica.    The  principal  trade  is  the  shipping  of  cotton  (over  40  acres  of  [       md  aa 
devoted  to  cotton  presses  and  warehouses),  hides,  grain,  pork,  and  beet.     Tl' 
foreign  exports  in  one  year  amounted  to  nearly  $18,000,000,  and  the  impo 
to  about  $1,000,000.     The  city  has  good  wharves,  several  ship-building  yards, 
foundries,  machine-shops,  gas-works,  railroad  shops,  daily  and  weekly  news- 
papers, savings  and  national  banks,  etc.    The  island  of  Galveston  was,  from 
1817  to  182 1,  the  haunt  of  the  pirate  Lafitte,  who  was  dislodged  in  the  latter 
year.     Plenty  of  vegetables  and  tropical  fruits  grow  all  the  year  round. 
Population  in  1870,  13,818;  1880,  26,000;  1886,  45,000. 


LESS. 


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154    PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN   PROGRESS. 

CITY  OF  DAYTON. 

Dayton  is  one  of  the  most  prosperous  and  wealthy  cities  of  Ohio.  It 
is  situated  at  the  junction  of  the  Miami  and  Mad  Rivers.  It  is  connected 
with  Cincinnati,  on  the  Ohio,  by  the  Miami  Canal — the  distance  being  52 
miLi.  In  the  variety  and  extent  of  its  manufactures  Dayton  stands  foremost 
among  Western  towns  in  proportion  to  its  size.  Fine  water-power  is  supplied 
by  the  river.  The  population  has  very  rapidly  increased.  In  1850  it  amounted 
to  10,976,  having  almost  quadrupled  within  the  preceding  20  years;  in  1853 
it  had  risen  to  16,562,  showing  an  addition  of  more  than  50  per  cent,  in  three 
years;  in  i860  it  amounted  to  20,482;  and  1 870  to  30,473.  It  owes  its  pros- 
perity chiefly  to  the  great  number  of  railroads  centering  here,  among  which 
are  the  Atlantic  &  Great  Western ;  the  Cincinnati,  Hannibal  &  Dayton ;  the 
Cleveland,  Columbus,  Cincinnati  &  Indianapolis ;  the  Dayton  &  Union ;  the 
Pittsburgh,  Cincinnati  &  St.  Louis,  and  several  others.  It  has  a  fine  Court- 
house, a  Public  Library,  several  newspapers,  53  churches,  a  Catholic  Institute 
for  Boys ;  a  National  Home  for  Disabled  Soldiers  and  Sailors,  situated  in  fine 
grounds,  and  other  institutions.  Many  of  the  private  residences  are  very 
handsome,  af^d  have  elegant  grounds.  The  streets  are  broad  and  well  paved. 
It  is  in  the  midst  of  a  rich  agricultural  district,  in  which  limestone  quarries 
abound.     Population,  1880,  38,000;  1886,45,000. 


1:,:^ 


CITY  OF  WHEELING-. 

Wheeling  is  the  largest  city  of  West  Virginia,  a  county  seat,  a  port  of 
entry,  and  the  capital  of  the  State.  It  is  situated  on  the  left  bank  of  the 
Ohio  River,  at  the  entrance  of  Wheeling  Creek,  60  miles  by  rail  and  92  by 
river,  below  Pittsburgh.  It  is  the  largest  commercial  city  between  Cincinnati 
and  Pittsburgh  on  the  Ohio  River.  It  extends  5  or  6  miles  along  the  river 
on  both  sides  of  the  creek  The  city  is  built  at  the  foot  of  the  hills  which  rise 
to  the  Alleghanies,  and  is  the  terminus  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio,  and  of  the 
river  division  of  the  Cleveland  and  Pittsburgh,  and  numerous  other  railroads. 
The  great  national  road  here  crosses  the  Ohio,  over  which  is  a  wire  suspension 
bridge,  1,010  feet  long. 

Its  manufacturing  establishments  are  very  extensive,  and  consist  of  iron 
foundries,  glass  works,  blast-furnaces,  forges,  machine-shops,  paper-mills,  cigar 
factories,  flour-mills,  ship-building,  etc.  About  500  vessels  belong  to  the  port. 
Large  quantities  of  bituminous  coal  are  mined  in  the  hills  in  the  vicinity. 

The  public  buildings  consist  of  the  Custom-house,  Post-office,  and  United 
States  Court  Chambers,  which  are  combined  in  one ;  the  State-house,  the  Opera- 
house,  and  Odd  Fellows'  Hall.  It  has  a  public  library,  a  college  for  women,  and 
several  charitable  institutions.  It  is  the  centre  of  an  important  trade.  The 
place  was  first  settled  in  1772,  and  incorporated  as  a  city  in  1806.  Population 
in  1870,  20,000;  in  1880,  31,000;  in  1886,  40,000. 


CITY  OF  READING.— SALT  LAKE  CITY. 


lis 


CITY  OF  READING-. 

Reading  is  a  city  of  Southeast  Pennsylvania,  on  the  left  bank  of  the 
Schuylkill  River,  58  miles  northwest  from  Philadelphia,  55  miles  northeast  of 
Harrisburg ;  it  is  at  the  junction  of  the  Union  and  Schuylkill  Canals.  Three 
fine  bridges  span  the  river.  It  was  originally  set  off  by  Thomas  and  Rich  Penn 
in  1748,  and  incorporated  in  1847.  The  streets  cross  at  right  angles,  and  the 
city  is  handsomely  laid  out.  The  business  portion  contains  fine  buildings, 
erected  with  great  regularity.  It  is  the  centre  of  a  very  productive  farming 
district,  and  has  a  considerable  wholesale  and  retail  trade.  It  has  a  handsome 
Court-house,  an  Academy  of  Music,  a  jail,  several  hotels,  banks,  well-organ- 
ized police  and  fire  departments,  numerous  fire  insurance  companies,  a  public 
library,  a  Catholic  academy,  numerous  public  and  private  schools,  a  Catholic 
hospital,  and  several  charitable  institutions.  It  is  pleasantly  situated  on  an 
ascending  plain,  and  is  supplied  with  streams  of  pure  water  from  a  mountain 
behind  it.    Penn's  Mount  is  on  the  east  and  Neversink  mountain  on  the  south. 

It  publishes  12  newspapers.  Its  industries  are  rolling-mills,  blast-furnaces, 
machine-shops,  saw-mills,  foundries,  shoe  factories,  breweries,  tanneries,  rail- 
road shops,  manufactories  of  cigars,  cottons,  woollens,  flour,  nails,  bricks, 
paper,  etc.  It  has  an  extensive  trade  in  coal.  Population  in  1870,  34,ocx); 
in  1880,43,300;  in  1886,  51,000. 


SALT  LAKE  CITY. 

Salt  Lake  City  is  the  capital  of  Salt  Lake  County  and  of  Utah  Ter- 
ritory.  It  is  situated  at  the  foot  of  the  Wahsatch  Mountains,  in  an  immense 
valley,  4,350  feet  above  the  sea  level,  on  the  east  bank  of  the  River  Jordan, 
between  Lake  Utah,  which  is  a  beautiful  body  of  fresh  water,  and  Great  Salt 
Lake,  the  latter  being  12  miles  distant.  The  city  is  connected  with  Ogden,  the 
junction  of  the  Union  Pacific  and  the  Central  Pacific  Railroads,  by  the  Utah 
Central  Railroad,  the  distance  being  36  miles.  It  is  supposed  that  the  valley 
in  which  Salt  Lake  City  is  situated  was  in  prehistoric  times  a  sea,  which  by 
convulsions  of  nature  has  been  changed  from  its  original  level.  The  soil  still 
holds  in  solution  the  salt  of  the  sea.  The  streets  are  128  feet  wide  and  shaded 
with  trees,  and  cross  at  right  angles,  forming  260  squares  of  10  acres  each. 
Two  streams  of  pure  water  from  the  neighboring  mountains,  some  of  them 
10,000  feet  high,  flow  through  each  street.  The  city  is  divided  into  21  Wards, 
each  of  which  has  a  public  square  or  common.  No  drones  are  permitted  iri 
the  city,  as  the  Mormons  are  very  industrious.  They  never  seem  to  tire  of 
work  or  making  converts  to  their  faith,  and  bring  large  numbers  of  converts 
from  all  parts  of  Europe. 

The  "City  of  the  Saints  "was  founded  in  1847  by  the  Mormons,  after  a 


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156    PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN  PR6GRESS. 

long  and  weary  pilgrimage  through  forests  and  a  wilderness  that  was  far  more 
extensive  than  that  traversed  by  the  descendants  of  Abraham  after  escaping 

from  the  bondage  of 
Egypt.  The  dwell- 
ing-houses are  chief- 
ly built  of  adobes  or 
sun-dried  bricks. 
Since  the  National 
Government  has 
taken  polygamy  in 
hand  polygamous 
wives  are  less  nu- 
merous. The  houses 
were  generally  built 
one  story  high,  and 
were  small ;  but  lat- 
terly many  elegant 
residences  have  been 
erected.  Each  lit- 
tle dwelling  is  sur- 
rounded by  its  gar- 
den and  orchard. 
The  plates  from 
which  was  written 
the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon were  discovered  in  1827  by  Joseph  Smith,  who  founded  the  "Church  of 
Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-Day  Saints "  in  Manchester,  N.  Y.  The  church  was 
afterwards  removed  to  Ohio,  Missouri,  Illinois,  Iowa,  and  finally  to  Utah. 
Their  system  of  government  is  admirable,  as  it  considers  the  interests  of  all, 
and  were  it  not  for  the  practice  of  polygamy,  there  could  be  little  objection 
raised  to  the  Mormons,  who  are  only  carrying  out  the  doctrines  of  the  Old 
Testament.  The  administration  of  the  Edmunds  law,  passed  by  Congress  in 
1882,  has  put  nearly  two  hundred  Mormons  in  prison  for  terms  varying  from 
six  months  to  three  years,  and  made  the  practice  of  polygamy  more  unpopular; 
but  it  has  seemingly  neither  destroyed  nor  shaken  the  Mormons'  faith  in  the 
divinity  of  the  principle  of  plural  marriages. 

The  principal  business  streets  are  Main,  South  Temple,  and  First  South 
Streets,  upon  which  there  are  several  fine  business  blocks.  Over  one-fifth 
of  the  population  are  Gentiles  and  apostate  Mormons,  and  since  the  laws  of 
the  United  States  against  polygamy  have  been  so  rigorously  enforced  the 
latter  are  increasing.  The  city,  which  is  not  very  imposing  in  appearance,  is 
lighted  with  gas,  and  has  numerous  lines  of  horse  railroads.  The  great  Mor- 
mon Tabernacle,  which  is  located  on  Temple  Block,  cost  $150,000,  and  seats 
13,000  people.  There  are  Catholic,  Episcopal,  Presbyterian,  Methodist,  and 
Congregational  churches,  a  Public  Library,  Museum,  City  Hall,  University, 


MAIN  STREET,  SALT  LAKE  CITY. 


CITY  OF  RICHMOND. 


157 


ar  more 


banks,  hotels,  halls,  theatres,  graded  schools,  newspapers,  and  periodicals. 
The  city  revenue  amounts  to  about  $175,000  annually;  its  debt,  contracted 
to  dig  a  canal  for  migation,  etc.,  amounts  to  $225,000;  its  resources  are 
more  than  $1,500,000;  licenses  for  liquor-selling  cost  $1,200  per  annum  for 
each  dram-shop. 

Salt  Lake  City  is  a  growing  centre  of  trade  for  the  mining  and  agricultural 
districts.  It  is  650  miles  from  San  Francisco,  and  1,100  west  of  the  Missis- 
sippi. The  Warm  Springs,  which  issue  from  a  limestone  rock  at  the  foot  of 
the  mountains,  are  about  one  mile  distant  from  the  city,  the  health  properties 
of  the  water  being  very  beneficial  to  bathers.  The  Hot  Springs  are  about  a 
mile  from  this  point.  Population  in  i860,  8,236;  1870,  12,854;  1880,  22,000; 
and  in  1886,  30,000. 


CITY  OF  RICHMOND. 

Richmond  is  the  capital  of  Virginia  and  a  port  of  entry.  It  is  situated  on 
the  north  bank  of  the  James  River,  at  the  head  of  tide-water,  about  150  miles 
from  its  mouth.  It  is  100  miles  south  of  Washington,  picturesquely  situated 
on  the  Richmond  hills  on  the  lower  falls  of  the  river. 

A  trip  from  Washington  to  Richmond  leads  through  the  storied  soil  of 
Virginia;  first  along  the  broad  Potomac,  crossing  numerous  tide-water  creeks, 
and  affording  many  pleasant  outlooks,  then  to  historic  Fredericksburg,  where 
the  tide  of  war  surged  so  fiercely,  and  on  through  the  rolling,  well-tilled  coun- 
try, meeting  frequent  villages,  at  one  of  which,  Milford,  a  stop  is  made  for 
meals,  and  then  through 
Ashland,  with  its  vener- 
able college  buildings,  be- 
yond which  it  is  a  short 
run  to  Richmond. 

The  opportunity  to  visit 
and  familiarize  oneself  with 
the  many  interesting  his- 
toric points  in  the  famous 
capital  of  the  late  Con- 
federacy is  one  which  is 
eagerly  seized  by  nearly 
all  intelligent  pleasure 
travellers  going  South  for 
the  first  time,  and  thus  it 

happens  that  there  is  a  very  general  interchange  of  passengers  at  this  point. 
One  day  devoted  to  the  city  of  Richmond  for  rest  and  relaxation  will  suffice 
to  give  an  intelligent  idea  of  this  centre  of  the  great  struggle. 

A  half  day  of  pleasant  driving  through  the  broad  and  shady  streets  of  the 
city  to  Hollywood  Cemetery,  one  of  the  most  beautiful  places  of  sepulture  in 
the  land,  would  be  a  source  of  much  pleasure  and  entertainment.    A  monu- 


STATE   CAPITOL. 


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CITY  OF   RICHMOND. 


159 


ment  of  great  interest  is  that  which  marks  the  grave  of  President  James 
Monroe.  Here  also  lies  General  J.  E.  B.  Stuart,  who  commanded  Lee's 
cavalry  during  the  Rebellion ;  while  hundreds  of  Confederate  dead  rest  within 
the  cemetery.  A  drive  to  Libby  Prison,  and  the  score  of  lesser  points  famous 
in  connection  with  the  war,  will  prove  a  pleasant  and  instructive  item  o'. 
travel. 

The  fine  Capitol  Square,  located  in  the  heart  of  the  city,  contains  8  acres. 
Within  the  bounds  are  found  the  prominent  and  shapely  structure  of  the 
State  House,  and  the  famous  Washington  Monument,  as  well  as  the  statue  of 
Stonewall  Jackson. 

The  city  is  re^'-'arly  laid  out  and  built,  and  surrounded  with  beautiful 
scenery.  The  Capitol  is  a  stately  building.  Among  the  manufacturing  estab- 
lishments, which  give  employment  to  nearly  6,000  hands,  are  large  iron-works, 
machine-shops,  foundries,  sugar  refineries,  flour-mills,  carriage-shops,  tanneries, 
tobacco  and  cigar  factories.  The  Tredegar  iron-works,  covering  1 5  acres,  were 
employed  for  the  manufacture  of  cannon  during  the  existence  of  the  Con- 
federacy, and  are  now  among  the  most  important  iron-works  in  the  country. 
The  flour-mills  are  among  the  largest  in  the  world.  There  are  10  insurance 
companies,  4  national  banks,  6  State  and  savings  banks.  Richmond,  when 
only  a  small  village,  in  1779  became  the  capital  of  the  State. 

Richmond  was  founded  in  1742.  In  181 1  the  burning  of  a  theatre  destroyed 
the  lives  of  70  persons,  including  the  Governor  of  the  State.  It  was  here  that 
the  Convention  to  ratify  the  Federal  Constitution  met  in  1788,  and  it  has 
since  then  been  the  scene  of  many  great  political  gatherings.  On  the  17th  of 
April,  1861,  the  State  of  Virginia  seceded  from  the  Union,  and  in  July  follow- 
ing the  Confederate  Congress  met  in  Richmond,  and  made  it  the  capital  of 
the  Confederacy.  General  Joseph  E.  Johnston  at  this  time  had  60,000  Con- 
federates under  his  command  in  Virginia,  and  from  this  time  until  the  close 
of  the  war  Richmond  continued  to  be  one  of  the  principal  points  of  attack  by 
the  Federal  army  under  Generals  McDowell,  McClellan,  Burnside,  Hooker, 
Meade,  and  Grant,  and  defended  by  General  Lee  with  a  large  army  and 
formidable  lines  of  fortifications,  until  the  seizure  of  the  lines  of  supply  by 
Generals  Grant  and  Sheridan  compelled  its  evacuation  after  a  series  of 
sanguinary  battles,  April  3,  1865.  During  the  evacuation  of  April  3,  1865, 
over  1,000  houses  in  the  business  portion  of  the  city  were  destroyed ;  the  loss 
of  this  and  other  property  destroyed  amounted  to  over  $8,000,000.  Imme- 
diately after  the  close  of  the  war  rebuilding  was  begun,  and  proceeded  rapidly. 

Spring  Hill  and  Manchester  are  connected  with  Richmond  by  five  bridges 
across  the  James  River.  Manchester  is  a  busy  place,  and  contains  two  large 
cotton-mills.  A  short  distance  from  this  famous  city  are  several  battle-fields. 
Two  fine  public  parks  are  respectively  at  the  east  and  west  ends  of  the  city. 
The  celebrated  Libby  Prison  and  Castle  Thunder  (military  prisons)  are  now 
used  as  tobacco  warehouses.  St.  John's  Episcopal  Church  is  celebrated  as  the 
place  of  meeting  of  the  Virginia  Convention  which  decided  the  attitude  of  the 
Colony  in  1775,  and  in  which  Patrick  Henry  made  his  celebrated  speech,  end. 


f    j 


ll 


i6o    PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN   PROGRESS. 


ing — "  I  know  not  what  course  others  may  take :  but  as  for  me,  give  me 
liberty  or  give  me  death ! "  This  church  was  also,  in  1788,  the  place  of  meet- 
ing of  the  Convention  which  ratified  the  Federal  Constitution. 

Numerous  lines  of  railroad  intersect  at  Richmond.  Regular  lines  of 
steamers  connect  the  city  with  Norfolk,  Baltimore,  Philadelphia,  and  New 
York.  Since  the  recent  improvements  in  the  river,  vessels  drawing  19  feet  of 
water  can  load  and  unload  at  the  docks.  A  canal  round  the  falls  gives  a  river 
navigable  200  miles,  and  a  canal  and  several  railways  enhance  its  commercial 
importance. 

The  city  is  handsomely  laid  out.  The  business  section  has  solid  and  hand- 
some structures.  The  private  residences  are  mostly  surrounded  by  fine  lawns 
and  gardens.  The  river  has  much  picturesque  scenery.  The  State  Library 
contains  about  50,000  volumes  and  many  fine  historical  portraits.  The  Custom- 
house and  Post-office  occupy  a  fine  granite  structure.  Near  the  Medical 
College  can  be  seen  the  Brockenbrough  House,  which  was  occupied  during 
the  war  by  Jefferson  Davis  as  his  official  headquarters.  The  population  of 
Richmond  at  the  present  time  is  about  70,000. 


CANADIAN  CITIES. 


T 


CITY  OF  MONTREAL. 


'ONTREAL  is  the  great  commercial  metropolis  of  Can- 
ada, and  the  largest  city  of  British  North  Amer- 
ica. It  is  in  the  Province  of  Quebec,  situated  on 
the  Island  of  Montreal.  This  island  is  formed 
by  the  Ottawa  and  St.  Lawrence  Rivers,  and  is 
separated  from  the  mainland  by  the  Back  River, 
or,  as  the  French  prefer  to  call  it,  the  Riviere  des 
Prairies;  it  is  i8o  miles  southwest  of  Quebec,  and 
200  miles  northeast  of  Lake  Ontario,  406  miles  north  of  New 
York,  and  310  miles  northeast  of  Toronto,  3,200  from  Liver- 
pool, and  600  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Lawrence. 
Situated  at  the  head  of  the  ocean  navigation  of  the  St.  Law- 
rence, Montreal  has  naturally  become  the  depot  for  the 
exports  and  imports  of  all  the  Canadas.  Its  harbor  admits 
vessels  of  3,500  tons,  and  is  3  miles  in  extent.  It  is  lined 
with  wharves  for  a  mile  and  a  quarter,  and  is,  from  its  inland 
position  (90  miles  above  the  influence  of  the  tides),  perfectly 
safe.  At  the  same  time,  the  obstruction  to  vessels  sailing  further  up  the 
river,  caused  by  the  rapids,  has  been  surmounted  by  magnificent  canals.  It  is 
in  immediate  connection  with  the  vast  lumber  country  adjoining  the  former 
river  and  its  tributaries.  While  navigation  is  open,  an  extensive  daily  traffic 
is  carried  on  by  steamers  and  sailing  vessels  of  every  description  with  Lake 
Ontario  and  the  Ottawa  district,  as  well  as  with  the  lower  St.  Lawrence ;  and 
the  ships  of  several  ocean  steamship  companies  keep  up  a  weekly  communi- 
cation with  Liverpool,  while  at  the  same  time  the  harbor  is  constantly  crowded 
with  vessels  from  other  foreign  ports. 

After  the  navigation  of  the  St.  Lawrence  is  closed  (December  to  April), 
the  ocean  steamers  find  a  harbor  at  Portland,  Maine,  which  is  connected  with 
Montreal  by  a  railway  of  292  miles.  This  line  belongs  to  the  Grand  Trunk 
Railway  Company,  and  crosses  the  St.  Lawrence  at  Montreal  by  the  celebrated 
tubular  Victoria  Bridge,  the  length  of  which,  including  its  two  abutments  and 
24  piers,  is  above  a  mile  and  three-quarters.  By  the  lines  of  the  same  com- 
pany, Montreal  has  railway  communication  with  Upper  Canada^  the  Western 
States,  and  Lower  Canada,  while  the  Intercolonial  Railway  opens  up  com- 
munication with  Halifax  and  St.  John.  Several  other  lines,  including  the 
Canadian  Pacific,  afford  communication  with  various  parts  of  Canada  and  the 
United  States.    The  position,  therefore,  of  Montreal  as  a  centre  of  commerce 


!i 


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I    ! 


lil 


162    PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN  PROGRESS. 

is  perhaps  unequalled,  and  its  rapid  advance  in  consequence  has  placed  it, 

within  the  last  few  years,  among  the  first  commercial  cities  of  the  American 

continent. 

The  most  conspicuous  building  in  Montreal,  which  is  also   one  of   the 

finest  churches  on  the 

^  ^Y         ?J        kil  QUEBE^HPf'l     continent  of  America, 

is  the  Roman  Catholic 
Cathedral.  Built  in  the 
Gothic  style  of  the 
thirteenth  century,  it 
comprises  seven  chapels 
and  nine  aisles.  Its 
bells  are  famous,  one 
of  them  being  ranked 
among  the  five  largest 
in  the  world.  It  accom- 
modates io,oc»  people. 
It  has  numerous  turrets 
and  two  imposing  tow- 
ers on  the  main  front 
which  are  2'^r>  feet  in 
height;  ana  its  chief 
window  is  64  feet  high 
and  32  broad.  There 
are  several  other  Roman 
Catholic  churches  be- 
longing to  the  order  of 
St.  Sulpice,  to  whose 
members  chiefly  Mon- 
treal owes  its  founda- 
tion, and  who  still  hold 
the  seigniory  of  por- 
tions of  the  island  on 
which  the  city  is  built. 
Adjoiningthe  cathedral 
is  the  Seminary  of  St. 
Sulpice,  to  which  a 
large  addition  has  been 
built  within  the  last  few 
years  at  a  cost  of  $40,- 
The  city  contains  also  some  of  the  largest  convents  in  the  world.    The 


CXX). 


general  wealth,  indeed,  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  in  Montreal  has  grown 
enormous,  in  consequence  of  the  increased  value  of  the  property  given  to 
it  during  the  early  settlements.  The  Church  of  England  has  a  Cathedral 
greeted  at  an  expense  of  above  $100,000,  which  is  very  chaste  in  style.    St. 


CITY  OF  MONTREAL. 


163 


iced  it, 
nerican 

of   the 
on  the 
America, 
Catholic 
ilt  in  the 
of    the 
itury,  it 
n  chapels 
les.      Its 
ous,  one 
g  ranked 
re  largest 
It  accom- 
X)  people. 
»us  turrets 
)sing  tow- 
:iain  front 
CO  feet  in 
its  chief 
.  feet  high 
td.     There 
ler  Roman 
irches   be- 
le  order  of 
to   whose 
liefly  Mon- 
|ts   founda- 
still  hold 
of    por- 
island  on 
ity  is  built. 
le  cathedral 
lary  of  St. 
which    a 
m  has  been 
|the  last  few 
•St  of  $40'- 
rorld.    The 
has  grown 
ly  given  to 
Cathedral 
style.    St. 


Andrew's  Church,  the  most  important  belonging  to  the  Church  of  Scot- 
land, is  also  a  very  chaste  specimen  of  Gothic  architecture,  and  cost  about 
$50,000.  At  about  the  same  cost  the  Methodists  have  built  a  handsome 
church  in  the  florid  Gothic  style.  Besides  the  Roman  Catholic  College  on 
Sherbrooke  Street,  St.  Mary's  College  of  the  Jesuits,  and  a  Baptist  College,  Mon- 
treal  possesses  an  important  university  under  the  name  of  McGill  College  ; 
founded  by  a  bequest  of  the  Hon.  James  McGill  in  181 1,  erected  into  a 
university  by  royal  charter  in  1821,  and  reorganized  by  an  amended  charter 
in  1852. 

Montreal  is  supplied  with  water  by  magnificent  works,  which  cost  about 
$6,000,000.  The  water  is  brought  from  the  St.  Lawrence,  above  the  Lachine 
Rapids,  by  an  aqueduct  5  miles  long.  The  eastern  suburb  of  Montreal,  now 
incorporated  as  one  of  the  wards  of  the  city,  called  Hochelaga,  was  originally  the 
site  of  an  Indian  village  of  the  same  name,  discovered  in  September,  1535,  by 
Jacques  Cartier ;  and  it  is  from  his  admiring  exclamation  at  the  view  obtained 
from  the  neighboring  hill  that  Montreal  (corrupted  from  Mont  Royal)  derives 
its  name.  The  westernmost  permanent  settlement  which  the  French  obtained 
in  Canada,  it  was,  under  them,  merely  an  outpost  of  Quebec,  and  continued  to 
be  such,  under  British  rule,  till  1832,  when  it  became  a  separate  port.  Since 
then,  the  rapidity  of  its  progress  has  been  marvellous.  The  annual  imports 
are  about  $100,000,000,  and  the  exports  $90,000,000 ;  the  latter  consist  of  flour, 
lumber,  grain,  furs,  fish,  oil,  etc.  The  principal  manufacturing  industries  con- 
sist of  flour,  type  foundries,  woolen  and  cotton  goods,  steam-engines,  various 
kinds  of  iron-ware,  tools,  cordage,  rubber  goods,  paper,  furniture,  etc. 

Montreal  has  its  French  quarter,  as  well  defined  as  that  of  New  Orleans, 
and  its  English  quarter.  The  active  centre  of  the  French  population  surges 
around  Bonsecours  Market,  a  huge  and  stately  building  fronting  upon  the 
river,  and  up  through  Jacques  Cartier  Square.  Upon  Notre  Dame  Street,  at 
Jacques  Cartier  Square,  stands  the  Nelson  Monument.  The  splendid  mansions 
on  Sherbrooke  Street  are  chiefly  occupied  by  English  and  Scotch  merchants. 
Along  the  side  of  the  "  Mountain  "  there  are  magnificent  mansions,  which 
command  a  grand  view  of  the  surrounding  country. 

The  "  Bonaventure  "  is  a  "  union  "  depot,  and  from  thence  arrive  and  depart 
Grand  Trunk  trains,  the  Central  Vermont,  Southeastern,  and  other  lines.  The 
North  Shore  Line  has  its  depot  (Quebec  route)  at  the  other  end  of  the  city, 
fronting  on  Notre  Dame  Street.  Montreal  is  a  festive  town ;  is  very  proud  of 
its  battalions  of  volunteers,  and  takes  keen  delight  in  the  achievements  of  its 
lacrosse  md  snow-shoe  clubs.  The  mid-winter  carnival  is  now  a  fixed  institu- 
tion ;  and  it  is  really  a  fact,  that  to  see  the  city  unde.  its  most  favorable  con- 
ditions, one  must  visit  it  in  January  or  February. 

The  stranger  who  wanders  along  the  business  streets,  if  observant,  will 
note  the  air  of  solidity  imparted  to  the  structures.  They  are  largely  built  of 
stone,  and  look  as  though  they  might  endure  for  ages.  McGill  University 
ranks  as  one  of  the  leading  educational  institutions  of  the  Dominion.  Its  fine 
buildings  and  extensive  grounds  are  located  in  the  upper  portion  of  the  city. 


t  i1 


i  :   i 


: 


I. 


t  'I 


i  1 K 


164    PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN   PROGRESS. 

The  great  Allan  liners  give  dignity  to  the  water-front  views,  and  the  vessels  of 
half  a  dozen  lesser  lines  are  clustered  along  the  wharves.  In  1840  the  popula- 
tion of  Montreal  was  27,000;  in  1850,  53,000;  in  i860,  88,000;  1870,  105,000; 
1880,  125,000;  1886,  160,000. 


CITY  OF  QUEBEC. 

Quebec  is  a  fine  commercial  city  in  the  Province  of  Quebec,  Canada.  It 
is  considered  the  most  important  military  positicMi  in  British  North  America. 
It  is  situated  at  the  junction  of  the  St.  Lawrence  and  St.  Charles  Rivers,  on  a 
steep  ridge  or  promontory  formed  by  the  rivers.  It  is  180  miles  northeast  of 
Montreal,  500  miles  northeast  of  Toronto,  578  miles  north-northeast  from  New 
York,  360  miles  from  the  sea,  and  2,070  miles  from  Liverpool.  The  Grand 
Trunk  Railway,  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railway,  and  the  Quebec  Central  Rail 
way,  connect  it  with  the  systems  of  railroads  in  Canada  and  the  United  States. 
It  is  being  connected  with  the  Lake  St.  John  Region  by  a  railway  of  180 
miles,  of  which  90  are  completed. 

In  1534,  under  the  patronage  and  direction  of  Francis  I.  of  France,  the 
navigator,  Jacques  Cartier,  started  from  St.  Malo  with  three  ships  upon  an  ex- 
ploring voyage,  entering  the  river  St.  Lawrence  upon  the  festival  day  of  the  saint 

of  that  name,  and  upon  the  14th  of  Septem- 
ber reaching  the  bold  promontory  where  the 
citadel  stands,  under  the  shadow  of  which 
he  found  the  Indian  village  of  Stadacona,  a 
name  popular  with  the  people  to  this  day. 

Nearly  a  century  later,  in  the  year  1608, 
Samuel  de  Champlain  appeared  upon  the 
scene,  and  Quebec  had  its  real  beginning. 
Champlain  also  found  and  named  the  Riche- 
lieu River,  after  Cardinal  Richelieu,  the 
founder  of  the  trading  company  of  "  One 
Hundred  Associates,"  under  whose  direction  he  operated.  He  also  found  the 
Ottawa  and  the  American  lake  that  still  bears  his  name.  He  introduced  the 
order  of  the  R6colIet  Friars  into  Canada,  and  these  were  followed  quickly  by 
the  more  powerful  and  enterprising  Jesuits,  who  toiled  with  that  heroic  ardor 
which  has  the  mainspring  only  in  faith,  among  the  Indians  and  settlers,  uniting 
the  clerical  office  with  that  of  the  explorer. 

In  1663  the  population  of  Quebec  was  but  800  souls,  and  about  this  time 
Louis  XIV.,  the  reigning  monarch,  assumed  control  of  the  colony  of  New 
France,  and  the  trading  company  lost  its  prestige.  It  continued  to  be  the 
centre  of  French  trade  and  Roman  Catholic  missions  in  North  America  till 
1759,  when  it  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  British  by  the  memorable  victory  of 
Wolfe  on  the  Heights  of  Abraham  above  the  city, — Wolfe,  the  English  com- 
mander, whose  character,   portrayed   so  vividly  in  the  "  Virginians,"  has 


I 


GRESS. 

he  vessels  of 
5  the  popula- 
870,  105,000; 


CITY  OF  QUEBEC. 


165 


:,  Canada.    It 
[orth  America. 
2S  Rivers,  on  a 
OS  northeast  of 
east  from  New 
>l.    The  Grand 
c  Central  Rail 
:  United  States. 
railway  of  180 

of  France,  the 
lips  upon  an  ex- 
il  day  of  the  saint 
14th  of  Septem- 
jntory  where  the 
fhadow  of  which 
of  Stadacona,  a 
.le  to  this  day. 
fin  the  year  1608, 
leared  upon  the 
real  beginning. 
amed  the  Riche- 
|l    Richelieu,  the 
,pany  of    "One 
le  also  found  the 
e  introduced  the 
ilowed  quickly  by 
that  heroic  ardor 
id  settlers,  uniting 


charmed  the  readers  of  a  generation.  He  came  to  extend  the  dominion  of  the 
British  crown.  Wolfe  and  his  veteran  Highlanders  and  Grenadiers  scaled  the 
precipitous  heights,  and  fought  upon  the  Plains  of  Abraham  against  the 
soldiers  of  Montcalm,  and  the  tourist  of  to-day  sees  behind  the  superb  Dufferin 
Terrace  a  unique  monument,  probably  the  only  such  shaft  in  the  world,  in 
joint  memory  of  the  two  opposing  generals  who  fell  upon  that  day.  Fifteen 
years  later,  Arnold,  the  destined  traitor  and  bite  noire  in  the  history  of  the 
Revolutionary  period,  coming  down  the  valley  of  the  Chaudiere,  and  Mont- 
gomery by  Lake  Champlain,  joined  in  the  siege  of  the  city.  Montgomery 
was  killed  at  the  first  assault,  and  Arnold's  subsequent  efforts  were  abortive. 
Quebec  remained  the  chief  city  of  Canada  till  the  British  settlements  in  the 
■west  were  erected  into  a  separate  province,  when  it  became  the  capital  of 
'Canada  East,  now  forming  the  Province  of  Quebec. 

Quebec  is  the  Gibraltar  of  America,  and  its  picturesque  old-world  battle- 
ments, its  impracticable  streets,  its  landmarks  of  history  still  abundant,  and 
its  un-Anglo-Saxon  ways  attract  the  attention  of  the  tourist.  The  walled 
portion  of  Quebec  is  triangular  in  shape  and  three  miles  in  circumference. 
The  wall  is  pierced  by  five  gateways;  three  of  these  communicate  with  the 
lower  town.  St.  Louis  Gate,  now  a  beautiful  Norman  structure,  leadi;  to  the 
battle-field,  while  St.  John's  Gate  is  the  outlet  to  Beauport  and  St.  Rochs. 
The  gate  by  which  strangers  enter  the  upper  town  from  trains  and  boats  was 
removed  some  years  ago  to  facil- 
itate travel.  The  leading  attrac- 
tions within  the  walls  are  the 
Ursuline  Convent,  the  Seminary, 
the  great  Laval  University,  the 
English  and  French  cathedral 
(Basilica),  and  above  all,  the  out- 
look from  the  DufTerin  Terrace. 

The  highest  point  of  the 
city  is  Cape  Diamond,  on  which 
is  built  the  citadel,  about  350 
feet  above  the  water.  From 
this  point  it  extends  or  slopes 
down  to  the  river  St.  Charles. 
The  upper  and  lower  towns  are  so 
named  on  account  of  the  differ- 
ence in  elevation.  Quebec  is  only 
second  to  Montreal  in  Canada  in  the  importance  of  its  commerce.  About 
'600  vessels  enter  the  port  annually  from  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  and  as  many  pass 
in  front  of  the  city  to  go  to  Montreal.  It  is  one  of  the  great  lumber  and 
timber  markets  of  North  America.  The  imports  amount  to  $8,000,000,  and 
•exports  $13,000,000,  annually.  Ship-building  is  conducted  on  an  extensive 
scale.  The  chief  industries  are  the  boot  and  shoe  and  the  leather  manu- 
ifactures.    It  has  lines  of  steamers  connecting  with  Liverpool,  Glasgow,  and 


I 


i66    PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN   PROGRESS. 

London,  and  numerous  lines  with  the  gulf,  coast,  and  river  towns.  The 
view  from  the  citadel  of  Quebec  is  one  of  the  most  magnificent  in  the 
world,  and  the  scenery  in  its  neighborhood,  amidst  which  are  the  Falls  of 
Montmorenci,  adds  greatly  to  the  attractions  of  the  city.  It  contains  a 
seminary  for  the  education  of  Catholic  clergy,  established  in  1636.  Quebec  is 
the  seat  of  a  Catholic  archbishop,  who  is  now  Cardinal  Taschereau,  and  an 
Episcopal  bishop,  whose  respective  cathedrals  are  among  the  finest  specimens 
of  church  architecture.  The  Church  of  Scotland  and  other  denominations  are 
also  represented.     Population  in  1871,  59,699;  1886,  75,000. 


CITY  OF  ST.  JOHN. 

St.  John,  the  capital  of  St.  John  County,  is  the  commercial  metropolis 
and  largest  city  of  New  Brunswick,  Canada.  It  is  situated  at  the  mouth  of 
the  river  of  its  own  name,  190  miles  northwest  of  Halifax.  The  harbor,  which 
is  protected  by  batteries,  is  good,  and  accessible  to  the  largest  vessels  at  all 


ST.    JOHN,    NEW    BRUNSWICK. 

seasons  of  the  year.    The  entrance  of  the  river  into  the  harbor  is  through  a  | 
rocky  gorge,  about  a  mile  above  the  city,  spanned  by  a  fine  suspension  bridge, 
640  feet  long  and  90  feet  above  the  water ;  also  by  a  cantilever  railway  bridge, 
completed  since  1885,  by  which  a  direct  line  of  travel  is  established,  as  formerly  j 
all  passengers  and  baggage  had  to  be  transferred  from  the  Intercolonial  Rail- 
way to  the  New  Brunswick  Railroad  by  ferry.    The  streets  are  wide,  and  meet 


)S. 


CITY  OF  KINGSTON. 


167 


.    The 

in  the 
?aU3  of 
itains  a 
jcbec  is 

and  an 
lecimens 
tions  are 


netropolis 

mouth  of 

bor,  which 

isels  at  all 

»,4 


at  right  angles.  Some  of  them  are  cut  30  or  40  feet  deep  through  solid  rock,  the 
city  being  built  on  a  rocky  peninsula,  slanting  down  to  the  water.  Since  the 
great  fire  the  buildings  constructed  are  mostly  brick  or  stone.  The  principal 
public  buildings  are  the  Court-house,  the  Insane  Asylum,  Post-office,  City 
Hospital,  City  Hall,  Opera-house,  Academy  of  Music,  Roman  Catholic  Cathe- 
dnil,  the  Uarracks,  the  Mechanics'  Institute,  and  the  Penitentiary.  The  city 
has  a  fire  department,  a  police  force,  a  system  of  water-works,  gas,  horse-cars, 
a  fire-alarm  telegraph,  about  40  churches,  several  schools,  banks,  academies, 
orphan  asylums,  newspapers,  good  hotels,  a  Natural  History  Society,  a  His- 
torical Society,  etc. 

The  city  is  governed  by  a  Mayor,  and  eighteen  Aldermen.  It  is  con- 
nected with  the  New  England  States  by  the  New  Brunswick  Railroad,  and 
with  Nova  Scotia  by  the  Intercolonial  Railroad.  In  June,  1877,  a  fire  destroyed 
the  greater  part  of  the  town,  and  caused  a  loss  of  about  $12,000,000.  The 
principal  industries  are  ship-building,  fisheries,  and  the  lumber  trade.  The 
manufacture  of  machinery,  boots  and  shoes,  cotton  and  woolen  goods,  leather, 
carriages,  edge-tools,  paper,  iron  castings,  steam-engines,  etc.,  is  carried  on  to 
a  considerable  extent.  The  exports,  which  average  annually  $4,000,000,  are 
principally  lumber  shipped  to  Europe,  the  West  Indies,  and  the  United  States. 
The  imports  are  about  $8,000,000  annually.  Population  in  1871,  28,805 ;  1886, 
with  suburbs,  55,000.  The  population  of  St.  John  County  is  mostly  of  Irish 
descent. 


is  through  a 
[ension  bridge, 
lailway  bridge, 
led,  as  formerly 

Ircolonial  Ran 
vide,  and  meet 


CITY  OF  KINGSTON. 

Kingston  is  a  city  in  the  Province  of  Ontario,  Canada.  It  is  situated  on 
the  northeast  shore  of  Lake  Ontario,  where  the  waters  of  the  Canadian  lakes 
issue  into  the  St.  Lawrence.  Distant  from  Montreal  198  miles,  from  Toronto 
165  miles,  and  from  New  York  274  miles.  It  was  occupied  by  a  French  fort 
from  1673  till  1758;  it  began  to  be  settled  by  the  British  about  1783,  was  laid 
out  in  1793,  was  incorporated  as  a  town  in  1838,  and  as  a  city  in  1846.  On.  the 
union  of  the  two  Canadas,  in  1840,  the  seat  of  government  was  established  at 
Kingston,  but  was  removed  again  in  1845.  The  harbor  of  Kingston  affords  a 
most  imposing  and  effective  picture.  In  the  midst  of  the  scene  a  storm- 
washed  Martello  tower  rises  from  the  water,  and  beyond  it  is  a  granite  battle- 
ment, upon  the  mainland  behind  which  rises  the  shapely  form  of  the  City 
Hall.  The  public  buildings  of  Kingston  are  all  excellent  examples  of  archi- 
tecture. Across  the  channel  is  Wolfe  Island,  which  is  connected  with  the  city 
by  a  ferry.  Upon  a  prominent  hill  to  the  right  is  the  large  defensive  work 
known  as  Fort  William  Henry,  and  near  it  the  Military  College,  which  is  the 
West  Point  of  Canada.  There  is  a  decided  military  air  to  Kingston,  due  to 
this  fact.  The  Thousand  Islands  begin  about  Kingston,  and  continue  for 
some  50  miles  down  the  river,  and  steamboats  run  daily  from  the  city  16  the 
popular  summer  resorts  among  these  Islands. 


WWi 


'ti,' 


168   PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN   PROGRESS. 

The  bhip-building  of  Kingston  is  second  in  Canada  only  to  that  of  Quebec. 
The  Canadian  Engine  &  Machinery  Company  manufactures  railway  rolling- 
stock  on  the  most  approvea  principles.  Besides  it  there  are  several  large 
foundries  for  the  manufacture  of  engines  and  locomotives,  of  agricultural 
implements,  edge-tools,  ayies,  nails,  etc.  There  are  also  large  tanneries  and 
breweries.  Besides  its  outlets  by  water,  Kingston  communicates  with  all  parts 
of  the  country  by  the  Grand  Trunk  Railway,  which  passes  within  2  miles  of 
the  city,  and  connects  by  a  branch  with  the  wharves;  a' d  by  the  Kingston 
and  Pembroke  Railv/ay,  which  connects  with  the  Canada  Pacific.  The  shops 
and  offices  of  the  Kingston  and  Pembroke  Railway  are  in  Kingston.  Next  to 
Quebec  and  Halifax,  Kingston  is  the  most  important  military  position  in 


.   KINGSTON  FROM  FORT  WILLIAM  HENRV. 

British  \merica.  Queen's  University  and  College  at  Kingston  is  one  of  the 
most  popular  and  progressive  of  the  gr-at  educational  institutions  of  Canada. 
It  was  incorporated  by  royal  charter  in.  1841,  for  the  education  of  a  Pres- 
byterian ministry,  and  has  since  instituted  the  additional  faculties  of  law  and 
medicine.  There  are  also  a  Catholic  irstitution  called  Regiopolis  College,  the 
County  Grammar  School,  and  the  common  schools,  besides  several  private 
academies.  The  Provincial  Penitentiary  and  the  Asylum  for  the  Insane,  and 
local  hospitals  and  homec  for  the  pofjr  are  situated  in  the  city.  In  1862  Kings- 
ton became  the  seat  of  the  new  English  bishopric  of  Ontario.  Many  beau- 
tiful homes  ariorn  the  suburban  a^enues.  Population  in  1871..  12,407;  1886, 
?o,ooo. 


CITY  OF  TORONTO. 


169 


CITY  OF  TORONTO. 

Toronto,  a  port  of  entry  and  the  capital  city  of  the  Province  cf  Ontario, 
Canada,  is  situated  on  the  north  shore  of  Lake  Ontario,  165  miles  from 
Kingston,  and  320  miles  southwest  of  Montreal.  It  is  connected  with  Canada 
and  the  United  States  by  the  Grand  Trunk  Railway  and  numerous  other 
lines.  Its  industries  are  extensive,  and  consist  of  iron  foundries,  rolling-mills, 
car-shops,  breweries,  distilleries,  machine-shops,  carriage  factories,  soap  works, 
tanneries,  boot  and  shoe  factories,  flour-mills,  cabinet-ware,  and  iron  rails.  It 
is  over  2  miles  in  length  between  east  and  west,  is  bounded  on  the  south  by 
the  Bay  of  Toronto,  a  spacious  inlet  of  Lake  Ontario,  and  is  i^  miles  broad 
from  south  to  north.  The  situation  of  the  town  is  low  and  flat.  The  most 
elevated  quarter — the  Queen's  Park  in  the  west,  containing  the  University, 


0^n>^^*--^» 


u 


TORONTO    UNIVERSITY. 


Observatory,  and  handsome  private  residences — being  only  from  100  to  200 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  lake.  The  harbor  or  bay  is  a  beautiful  sheet  of 
water,  about  5  miles  long  and  I  mile  in  width.  It  is  separated  from  the  lake 
by  a  long,  narrow  strip  of  land,  except  at  its  entrance.  It  is  capable  of  accom- 
modating the  largest  vessels  that  navigate  the  lakes,  and  is  defended  at  the 
entrance  by  a  fort,  mounted  with  the  most  efficient  modern  ordnance, 

Toronto  has  much  the  appearance  of  an  English  town,  and  is  distinguished 
for  the  number  and  beauty  of  its  churches,  many  of  which  are  surmounted  by 
handsome  spires.  The  principal  are  St.  James'  Cathedral  (Anglican),  a  noble 
edifice  in  early  English,  erected  in  1852;  St.  Michael's  Cathedral  (Roman 
Catholic);  Knox's  Church  and  St.  Andrew's  (Presbyterian);  the  Metropolitan 
(Methodist);  and  the  Unitarian  Chapel.  Toronto  is  the  fountain-head  of  the 
Canada  school  system,  and  its  educational  institutions  arc  numerous  and  well 
appointed.     Th';  University,  charmingly  situated  in  the  well-w^ooded  Queen's 


m 


170  PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN   PROGRESS. 

Park,  was  inaugurated  in  1843.  Trinity  College  and  the  Upper  Canada  College 
have  numerous  students.  Knox's  College,  recently  built,  is  the  Presbyterian 
theological  hall.  The  University  Park,  with  its  beautiful  monument  to  the 
volunteers  who  fell  at  Ridgeway,  and  the  Horticultural  Gardens,  are  frequented 
by  all  classes  of  the  community.  There  are  also  the  Normal  and  Model 
Schools,  in  the  first  of.  which  teachers  exclusively  are  trained.  Attached  to 
the  University  is  the  Observatory.  There  are  many  benevolent  institutions 
and  handsome  ofTicial  buildings.  It  is  the  seat  of  the  Supreme  Courts  of  the 
Province,  and  contains  the  Legislative  buildings,  the  Government-house,  the 
Custom-house,  and  the  Post-ofifice.  There  are  two  large  theatres  in  Toronto. 
During  open  navigation  magnificent  steamers  ply  in  all  directions  on  the  lake. 
The  exports  are  manufactured  lumber,  flour,  wheat,  and  other  grain. 

The  name  Toronto  is  supposed  to  be  of  Indian  origin.  The  town  was 
founded  in  1794  by  Governor  Simcoe.  It  was  incorporated  in  1834,  was 
burned  by  the  Americans  in  181 3,  and  suffered  severely  in  the  insurrection  of 
1837,  on  which  occasion  it  was  the  headquarters  of  the  rebellion,  as  also  from 
fire  in  1849.     Population  in  1870,  56,000;  1886,  80,000. 


CITY  OF  HAMILTON. 

Hamilton  is  a  city  in  the  Province  of  Onta-io,  Canada.  It  is  situated  on 
Hamilton  Bay,  formerly  Burlington  Bay,  at  the  west  end  of  Lake  Ontario.  It 
is  38  miles  from  Toronto,  378  miles  from  Montreal,  and  43  miles  from  Niagara 
Falls.  It  is  an  important  railroad  centre ;  the  Hamilton  &  Port  Dover,  the 
Great  Western,  and  the  Hamilton  &  Toronto  all  radiate  from  this  point; 
while  she  has  by  the  great  lakes  and  rivers  water  communication  from 
Chicago,  Duluth,  and  Fort  William  at  the  West  to  the  Atlantic.  It  is  situated 
in  the  midst  of  the  finest  agricultural  district.  In  1840  the  population  was 
3,000;  six  years  later  the  population  was  nearly  7,000,  and  a  city  charter 
was  obtained.  This  rapid  increase  is  due  to  the  railroads  and  the  grain 
district  in  which  it  is  situated.  Its  manufacturing  establishments  are  exten- 
sive, and  comprise  steam-engine  and  locomotive  works,  large  iron  works,  car 
works,  foundries,  clothing,  sewing-machines,  etc.  The  last  census  of  Canada, 
taken  in  1 88 1,  shows  that  the  capital  invested  is  nearly  one-thirty-fourth  of 
the  whole  capital  invested  in  manufacturing  industries  throughout  the  whole 
Dominion. 

The  merchants  of  Hamilton  organized  a  Board  of  Trade  in  1845,  which 
"has  done  much  for  the  prosperity  of  the  city.  Imports,  1885,  $4,095,032. 
Since  1881  several  new  factories  and  workshops  have  been  built,  including  a 
cotton  factory,  running  12,000  spindles.  The  mills  and  plant  of  this  company 
cost  $475,coo,  and  their  output  last  year  was  nearly  2,225,000  yards  of  cloth, 
and  225,000  pounds  of  yarn.  These  mills  employ  390  hands,  their  annual  pay 
list  being  $104,000.  A  new  rolling-mill,  established  last  year,  has  a  capital  of 
$50,000,  and  employs  30  hands;  annual  output,  $175,000.     New  and  larger 


CITY  OF  OTTAWA. 


m 


sUege 
terian 
o  the 
lented 
Model 
led  to 
utions 
of  the 
se,  the 
sronto. 
le  lake. 

vn  was 
j4,  was 
:tion  of 
so  from 


jated  on 
ario.  It 
Niagara 
)ver,  the 
is  point; 
on  from 

situated 
ition  was 
charter 
;he  grain 
re  exten- 

orks,  car 
Canada, 

ourth  of 

he  whole 

45,  which 

4,095,032- 
eluding  a 
company 
of  cloth, 
nnual  pay 
capital  of 
ind  larger 


shops  have  been  erected  for  the  chief  engine  works  of  the  city,  and  a  new 
factory  has  also  been  built  by  the  Wanzer  Company  for  the  manufacture  of 
their  sewing-machines.  Since  1861  that  company  has  made  in  Hamilton 
1,500,000  sewing-machines.  Their  business  extends  to  all  countries  of  the 
world.     Their  output  of  machines  has  reached  1,500  per  week. 

The  city  has  33  churches,  7  banks,  and  a  large  insurance  company;  a 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  and  a  fine  public  school  system,  with 
5,000  pupils  and  100  teachers.  The  Collegiate  Institute  and  Training  College 
has  600  students,  with  15  masters  and  teachers.  There  are  also  5  separate 
Catholic  schools  in  Hamilton,  and  a  Methodist  College  for  young  women ; 
numerous  charitable  institutions,  the  Hamilton  Association  for  Investigating 
Natural  History,  Botany,  etc.,  and  private  institutions  for  commercial  and 
business  training.  The  assessed  value  of  property  last  year  was  ;^4,ooo,ooo 
sterling.     Population  in  1886,  41,000. 


CITY  OF  OTTAWA. 

Ottawa  is  the  capital  of  the  Dominion  of  Canada.  It  is  situated  in  the 
Province  of  Ontario,  88  miles  above  the  junction  of  the  Ottawa  River  with 
the  St.  Lawrence,  450  miles  from  New  York,  126  miles  from  Montreal,  and  95 
miles  from  the  city  of  Kingston.     It  was  incorporated  as  a  city  in   1854. 


CHAUDIERE     FALLS. 

Prior  to  this  it  was  called  Bytown,  in  honor  of  Colonel  By,  who  constructed 
the  Rideau  Canal  in  1827.  The  scenery  in  the  vicinity  is  very  beautiful,  and 
not  surpassed  by  any  in  Canada.  In  the  neighborhood  are  three  magnificent 
cataracts.  The  first  of  these  is  the  Chaudiere  Falls,  on  the  Ottawa  River,  at 
the  west  end  of  the  city.  The  falls  at  this  point  are  spanned  by  a  suspension 
bridge,  connecting  Jpper  and  Lower  Canada.  Its  great  industry  is  lumber, 
its  immense  water-power  being  made  use  of  in  numerous  saw-mills.    The 


•it' 


■  11 

Vi 

'i'   r  1 


»  HI 


1^9 


^1    'W' 


172    PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN   PROGRESS. 

imports  arc  about  ;^ 500,000,  and  the  exports  nearly  ^^  1,000,000,  annually.  In 
1858  Ottawa  was  selected  by  Queen  Victoria  as  the  capital  of  Canada.  The 
erection  of  magnificent  Government  buildings  was  commenced  in  i860,  the 
Prince  of  Wales  laying  the  foundation.  The  Parliament  buildings  are  prob- 
ably as  fine  as  any  in  America.  The  principal  railroads  are  the  Canada 
Central  lines  and  the  St.  Lawrence  &  Ottawa.  It  is  connected  by  steamer  on 
the  Ottawa  River  with  Montreal ;  the  Rideau  Canal  connects  the  city  with 
Lake  Ontario  at  Kingston.  It  derives  its  chief  importance  from  being  the 
seat  of  the  Government.  The  natural  beai'.ty  of  its  surroundings  and  its  fine 
architectural  structures  attract  the  tourist.     Population,  35,000. 


CITY  OF  HALIFAX. 

Halifax,  a  seaport  and  city  of  Canada,  and  the  capital  of  the  Province  of 
Nova  Scotia,  stands  on  the  southeast  or  outer  coast  of  the  peninsula.  The  har- 
bor is  one  of  the  finest  in  the  world.  It  is  entered  from  the  south,  extends  north- 
wards about  16  miles,  and  terminates  in  a  magnificent  sheet  of  water  called 
Bedford  Basin,  is  spacious  enough  for  the  entire  navy  of  England,  and  offers 
all  the  year  round  easy  access  and  safe  anchorage  to  vessels  of  any  magn\  idc. 

Lines  of  steamers  ply  between  Halifax  and  London,  Liverpool,  the  Con- 
tinent of  Europe,  New  York,  Boston,  and  the  West  Indies.  It  is  the  great 
centre  of  trade  for  the  Maritime  Provinces  of  Canada.  A  large  stone  grading 
dock  is  now  being  constructed  which  can  accommodate  the  largest  class  of 
ocean  steamers  and  war-ships. 

Halifax  with  its  suburbs  extends  along  the  slope  of  a  hill,  and  is  over 
three  miles  in  length,  and  averages  about  a  mile  in  width.  There  are  many 
beautiful  residences  on  the  Northwest  Arm  which  runs  from  the  harbor  three 
miles  inland.  The  dock-yard,  covering  fourteen  acres,  is  one  of  the  most  ex- 
tensive in  the  British  Empire.  A  number  of  British  war-ships  are  generally 
moored  off  this  dock-yard.  The  city  is  now  the  stronghold  of  the  Imperial 
Army  and  Navy  in  North  America.  All  the  entrances  to  the  harbor  bristle 
with  batteries  armed  with  the  heaviest  ordnance,  and  garrisoned  with  British 
A..rtillery. 

The  principal  edifices  are  the  Custom-house  and  Post-office,  the  Province 
Building,  Dalhousie  College,  Government  House,  Military  and  Provincial 
Hospitals,  Admiralty  House,  Lunatic  Asylums,  Schools  for  Blind  and  Deaf 
and  Dumb,  and  several  fine  Common  schools.  Penitentiary,  Court-house, 
Academy  of  Music,  a  New  City  Hall,  etc.,  etc.  There  are  25  churches,  a  R.  C. 
Cathedral,  and  residences  for  an  Episcopal  Bishop  and  a  R.  C.  Archbishop. 
It  has  three  sugar  refineries,  a  cotton  factory,  several  boot  and  shoe  factories, 
and  a  number  of  minor  industries.  There  are  seven  Banks  and  a  Government 
Savings  Bank.  Halifax  has  railway  communication  with  the  whole  continent. 
It  is  the  winter  port  of  the  Intercolonial  and  Canada  Pacific  Railways.  It 
enjoys  unrivalled  shipping  facilities  and  has  a  grain  elevator.  The  parks  and 
public  gardens  are  famed  for  their  beauties.    Population  about  40,000. 


CITIES  OF  LONDON   AND  ST.  JOHN'S. 


CITY  OF  LONDON. 


173 


London  is  the  chief  city  of  the  county  of  Middlesex,  Ontario,  Canada.  It 
is  situated  at  the  junction  of  the  two  branches  of  the  River  Thames,  about 
114  miles  west-southwest  from  Toronto,  with  which  it  is  connected  by  the 
Great  Western  Railway.  The  site  of  the  city  began  to  be  cleared  and  laii! 
out  in  1825;  in  1852  the  population  was  7,124.  When  the  city  was  called 
London,  the  river,  which  had  formerly  been  known  by  an  Indian  name, 
received  that  which  it  now  bears ;  a  Westminster  and  a  Blackfriars  bridge 


LONDON,    OTTARIO. 

were  thrown  over  it ;  and  the  names  given  to  the  principal  streets  and  locali- 
ties still  seem  to  indicate  a  desire  to  make  the  westernmost  city  of  Canada  a 
reproduction,  as  far  as  possible,  of  the  capital  of  England.  It  has  an  outlet 
by  railway  to  every  part  of  the  American  continent.  The  centre  of  a  rich 
agricultural  district,  London  carries  on  a  large  trade  in  the  produce  of  the 
country,  while  there  are  also  many  foundries,  tanneries,  breweries,  printing- 
offices,  and,  outside  the  city,  large  petroleum  lefineries.  Huron  College, 
Hellmuth  College,  and  HcUmuth  Ladies'  College  are  the  principal  educational 
institutions.     Population  in  1886,  30,ocx). 


CITY  OF  ST.  JOHN'S. 

St.  John's  is  a  city  and  the  capital  of  the  Island  of  Newfoundland.  It  is 
situated  on  the  east  coas'  of  the  island,  which  is  about  400  miles  long  and  300 
wide  at  the  extreme  points.  The  city  is  2,000  miles  from  Liverpool,  540  from 
Halifax,  Nova  Scotia,  and  900  from  Quebec.    It  has  an  excellent  harbor,  which 


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174    PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN  PROGRESS. 


is  well  fortified.  Being  the  nearest  port  in  America  to  Galway,  Ireland  (dis- 
tance, 1,650  miles),  St.  John's  has  acquired  importance  in  the  commercial  and 
political  world  in  connection  with  steam  navigation  between  the  two  conti- 
nents. It  has  suffered  severely  from  repeated  conflagrations;  in  1846  it  was 
more  than  half  destroyed. 

At  the  entrance  to  the  harbor  are  the  Narrows ;  on  the  north  side  of  the 
Narrows  is  a  cliff  over  300  feet  high ;  back  and  above  it  is  Signal  Hill,  520  feet 
above  the  sea  level.  On  the  other  side  of  the  Narrows  is  a  hill,  650  feet  above 
the  sea,  on  which  is  a  lighthouse.  The  Narrows  will  admit  only  one  vessel  at 
a  time.  The  latter  ridge  of  hills  extend  into  the  interior  for  miles.  The  city 
is  built  of  brick,  and  is  well  situated  on  sloping  ground  on  both  sides  of  the 
harbor.  Bridges  and  causeways  connect  the  north  and  south  sides.  Over 
1,200  vessels  enter  the  harbor  annually,  having  a  tonnage  of  250,000.  There 
is  a  dry-dock  and  marine  railway.  The  business  portion  of  the  city  is  solid 
and  substantial.  It  has  several  banks,  12  churches,  several  convents,  20  insur- 
ance companies,  various  societies,  benevolent  organizations,  academies,  colleges, 
theological  institutions,  a  medical  society,  an  athenaeum,  2  libraries,  13  news- 
papers, and  2  fine  cathedrals  (one  each.  Catholic  and  Episcopal).  Among  the 
public  buildings  may  be  mentioned  the  Government-house,  the  residence  of 
the  Governor,  which  cost  $250,000;  the  Assembly  building,  the  Court-house, 
the  Public  Hospital,  and  Market-house.  The  island,  with  the  coast  of  Lab- 
rador, forms  an  English  colony,  and  is  administered  by  a  Governor,  assisted 
by  an  Executive  Council,  a  Legislative  Council  of  1 5  nominated  by  the  Crown, 
and  an  Assembly  elected  by  the  popular  vote;  these  also  govern  the  city. 
The  Allan  line  of  European  steamers  has  a  station  at  this  city.  Its  manu- 
factures consist  of  ship-bread,  furniture,  boots  and  shoes,  iron-ware,  and  nets. 
It  has  large  storehouses,  distilleries,  tanneries,  breweries,  refineries,  block 
factories,  and  steam  seal-oil  works.  A  large  trade  is  done  in  exporting  oil, 
seal,  and  cod.  Its  principal  business  is  connected  with  the  fisheries.  It 
receives  the  large  imports  of  the  colony.  Regular  lines  of  steamers  connect 
with  the  harbors  on  the  coast.     Population  in  1874,  25,000;  1886,  40,000. 


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BKIDAL  VEIL  FALLS,   YOSEMITE  VALLEY. 


11 


OUR  AMERICAN  SCENERY. 


THE  YOSEMITE  VALLEY. 

^WO  tracts  of  land  have  been  set  aside  by  Congress  as 
National  Parks.  They  were  reserved  by  reason  of  their 
natural  beauty  and  picturesque  character,  and  are  fur 
the  use  in  commOii  of  the  entire  people,  except  for 
settlement  or  private  use.  They  include  the  Yellow- 
stone region  and  the  Yosemite  Valley.  The  latter  was 
granted  by  Congress  to  the  State  of  California  (March 
30,  1864),  "to  be  set  aside  forever  as  a  place  of  public  res  )rt 
and  recreation."  It  is  in  Mariposa  County,  California  and 
includes  the  Mariposa  Big  Tree  Grove.  It  is  nearly  150  miles 
from  San  Francisco,  and  almost  in  the  centre  of  the  State. 
The  Valley  is  nearly  a  mile  wide  and  6  miles  long,  and  nearly 
level.  It  is  about  a  mile  in  perpendicular  depth  below  the 
Si:rrounding  level,  yet  4,000  feet  above  the  sea,  and  through  it 
flows  the  Merced  River.  Its  walls  are  almost  vertical.  There 
are  numerous  well-supplied  hotels  for  the  accommodation  of 
tourists.  The  first  great  object  of  interest  in  proceeding  up 
the  Valley  is  the  Bridal  Veil  Fall,  which  is  formed  by  the  great  leap  of  the 
Bridal  Veil  Creek  over  a  descent  of  630  feet  to  a  slope  from  which  a  series  of 
cascades  extend  to  the  Valley.  The  entire  fall  is  nearly  1,000  feet.  The  next 
great  object  of  interest  is  the  "  Cathedral  Rock,"  an  immense  granite  formation 
nearly  3,000  feet  in  height,  which  is  situated  a  little  above  the  fall.  A  little 
farther  on  are  the  "  Spires,"  which  consist  of  single  columns  of  granite,  500 
feet  in  height,  standing  out  from  the  main  walls  of  the  Valley.  "  Sentinel 
Rock"  is  over  3,000  feet  high.  Other  important  objects  of  interest  are  the 
"Sentinel  Dome  "and  the  "Virgin's  Tears  Fall";  the  latter  is  a  beautiful 
cataract,  falling  more  than  1,000  feet.  Next  are  monster  masses  of  rock, 
known  as  "  El  Capitan  "  and  the  "  Three  Brothers."  The  Yosemite  Fall  is 
above  the  latter,  and  has  a  descent  of  over  1,500  feet.  Next  is  a  series  of 
magnificent  cascades,  falling  nearly  700  feet,  with  a  final  descent  or  plunge  of 
400  feet.  The  effect  of  this  beautiful  sight  is  grand  and  imposing  to  an  exte.it 
almost  beyond  description.  The  best  time  to  see  the  falls  is  in  May,  June,  or 
July,  as  the  streams  which  form  them  nearly  dry  up  in  August  and  September. 
Other  great  eccentricities  of  Nature,  with  smaller  falls,  abound  in  the  Valley. 
The  general  effect  is  grand  and  sublime,  and  surpasses  anything  known  to 
exist  in  other  localities.  The  Mariposa  groves  of  "  big  trees "  are  about 
15  miles  south  of  the  Yosemite  Valley ;  three  of  these  groves  are  in  Mariposa 
County,  and  include  nearly  1 50  trees  more  than  1 5  feet  in  diameter.    Many  of 

(177) 


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UPPEE  YELLOW-STONE  FALLS. 


THE  YELLOWSTONE   REGION. 


179 


them  are  nearly  400  feet  in  height  and  over  30  feet  in  diameter.  Some  of 
them  after  being  cut  down  have  been  estimated  to  be  2,5(X>  years  old.  The 
Yosemite  Valley  was  first  visited  by  tourists  in  1855,  ^"d  was  not  known  to 
white  men  until  185 1.  At  the  present  time  thousands  visit  this  beautiful 
region  annually,  and  come  away  impressed  with  its  grandeur  and  sublimity. 


THE  YELLOWSTONE  REGION. 

The  Yellowstone  River  rises  in  a  beautiful  lake  of  the  same  name  high  up 
in  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  receiving  numerous  branches  from  the  south, 
flows  northeasterly  through  the  Territory  of  Montana,  and  empties  into  the 
Missouri  River,  in  the  northwestern  part  of  Dakota  Territory.  It  is  800  yards 
wide  at  its  mouth,  1,000  miles  long,  and  navigable  700  or  800  miles. 

The  region  of  the  Yellowstone  and  its  source  was  for  the  first  time  explored 
by  parties  from  the  United  States  in  1870-71,  and  is  one  of  the  most  wonder- 
ful spots  on  the  earth.  Making  their  way  up  the  river  through  the  grand 
scenery  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  the  explorers  came  to  a  district  of  a  square 
mile  in  area,  filled  with  hot  springs  in  active  operation,  which  cover  the  hill- 
sides with  a  snowy  white  deposit  like  a  frozen  cascade.  Three  or  four  miles 
around  were  occupied  by  springs  which  have  ceased  to  flow.  They  are  about 
6,000  feet  above  the  sea,  and  are  already  resorted  to  by  invalids.  This  was 
but  the  beginning  of  the  wonders.  Next  they  came  to  a  terrific  rift,  2,000  feet 
in  depth,  with  a  river  rolling  in  its  deeps,  "  a  grand,  gloomy,  terrible  place." 
At  the  head  of  this  caflon  are  ♦^he  Tower  Falls,  with  a  sheer  descent  of  400 
feet.  The  Grand  Caflon,  however,  throws  this  into  the  shade.  This  fearful 
abyss  is  3,000  feet  in  perpendicular  height,  and  to  one  looking  up  from  the 
bottom,  stars  are  visible  in  broad  daylight.  The  ravine  is  full  of  hot  springs 
of  sulphur,  sulphate  of  copper,  alum,  steam  jets  in  endless  variety,  some  of 
most  peculiar  form.  The  grandeur  of  the  caflon  is  at  once  heightened  and 
diversified  by  the  Upper  and  Lower  Falls;  the  latter  one  unbroken  sym- 
metrical expanse,  350  feet  in  height.  Between  this  fall  and  the  lake  lies  a 
region  full  of  boiling  springs  and  craters,  with  two  hills  formed  wholly  of  the 
sinter  thrown  from  the  springs.  Further  on  is  a  valley  containing  about 
1,500  geysers,  some  throwing  up  immense  columns  of  water.  The  beautiful 
lake  from  which  the  river  issues  is  situated  7,427  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
In  1872  the  region  at  the  source  of  the  Yellowstone,  65  miles  long  by 


sea. 


55  miles  broad,  including  the  Grand  Caflon  and  the  lake,  was  reserved  by 
Congress  from  occupancy,  and  set  apart  as  "A  PUBLIC  park  or  pleasuring- 
GROUND  for  the  benefit  and  enjoyment  of  the  people."  The  Upper  Falls  of 
the  Yellowstone  are  one-fourth  of  a  mile  from  the  Lower  Falls.  The  Upper 
Falls  flow  through  a  grassy,  meadow-like  valley,  with  a  calm,  steady  current, 
giving  no  warning  until  very  near  the  falls  that  it  is  about  to  rush  over  a 
precipice  140  feet,  and  then,  within  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  again  to  leap  down  a 
distance  of  350  feet. 

The  exploration  of  the  Yellowstone  region  was  made  by  the  officers  of  the 


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United  States  Corps  of  Engineers  in  1871,  under  the  orders  of  Lieutenant- 
General  Sheridan.  Their  report  was  the  first  which  made  known  to  the  world 
the  wonders  of  this  beautiful  region,  which  was  known  as  the  "  Great  Divide." 
It  is  comprised  in  the  Territories  of  Montana  and  Wyoming,  and  is  in  the 
geographical  centre  of  "North  America.  The  vast  reservation  covers  3,578 
square  miles.  Many  of  the  mountain  ranges  are  at  an  elevation  of  over  10,000 
feet  above  the  sea.  The  most  convenient  route  for  tourists  has  been  from 
Corinne  on  the  Central  Pacific  Road  to  Virginia  City,  Montana ;  from  this 
point  to  Fort  Ellis,  and  to  Bozeman  at  the  upper  end  of  the  Gallatin  Valley, 
which  is  only  3  miles  from  Fort  Ellis ;  the  next  point  is  a  Crow  agency,  about 
25  miles  distant,  and  then  south  by  the  Yellowstone  River  to  the  great  falls. 
The  scenery  after  reaching  the  Yellowstone  River  is  probably  the  finest  in  the 
world.  Among  the  most  sublime,  impressive,  and  picturesque  scenery  is  the 
"  Devil's  Slide,"  projecting  1,000  feet  into  the  air.  As  we  proceed,  Gardiner's 
River,  or  Warm  Stream  Creek,  is  met  where  it  flows  into  the  Yellowstone, 
15  miles  from  the  Middle  Caflon.  We  have  now  arrived  at  the  hot  springs 
district.  Here  can  be  found  the  largest  spring  in  the  country,  with  a  basin 
40  X  25  feet ;  from  this  basin  great  quantities  of  carbonic  acid  gas  are  dis- 
charged through  several  openings.  There  are  smaller  basins  and  terraces 
which  contain  water  from  this  spring  of  different  degrees  of  temperature; 
these  basins  are  gracefully  curved,  and  vary  in  color  from  a  rich  yellow  to  a 
bright  red,  creating  a  beautiful  effect.  # 

We  now  cross  the  "low  divide"  between  the  valley  of  the  Yellowstone 
and  that  of  Gardiner's  River,  and  the  steep  entrance  to  the  Great  CafSon  is 
reached.  The  gloomy  and  forbidding  aspect  of  this  place  has  gained  it  the 
name  of  the  "  Devil's  Den."  The  river  rushes  with  great  force  and  rapidity 
through  this  narrow  gorge,  and  shoots  over  an  abrupt  fall  of  nearly  200  feet ; 
and  after  a  series  of  cascades  and  rapid  falls,  leaves  the  cafion  with  a  sudden 
fall  of  nearly  400  feet,  after  which  it  gently  pursues  its  course  over  a  rolling 
prairie  for  many  miles.  The  sides  of  the  Great  Caflon  are  more  than  2,CX)0 
feet  high.  We  next  arrive  at  a  new  hot  spring.  This  is  very  remarkable  for 
its  extraordinary  "  mud  geysers,"  and  a  "  mud  volcano,"  which  has  a  crater 
30  feet  deep  by  25  feet  in  width,  and  in  a  constant  state  of  ebullition  ;  one  of 
the  geysers  spouts  every  six  hours.  Yellowstone  Lake  is  8  miles  from  these 
geysers ;  its  shore  line  is  over  300  miles ;  it  is  30  miles  long,  1 5  miles  wide, 
and  averages  about  25  fathoms  deep.  Numerous  hot  springs  exist  almost  in 
contact  with  this  lake,  and  a  new  system  of  hot  springs  are  to  be  found  about 
10  miles  from  the  Yellowstone.  The  entire  district  appears  like  a  vast  lime- 
kiln in  active  operation.  In  the  main  eastern  part  of  the  Madison  River  are 
several  beautiful  springs.  The  one  of  greatest  interest  is  the  Great  Geyser 
Basin.  The  geysers  are  all  named ;  two  are  known  as  "  The  Sentinels,"  one 
on  each  side  of  the  river.  The  geyser  known  as  "  The  Well "  spouts  to  a 
height  of  nearly  100  feet.  The  "  Grotto  "  is  a  formation  about  100  feet  in 
circumference  and  8  feet  high  ;  it  spouts  or  plays  to  a  height  of  60  feet  several 
times  a  day.    The  "  Giant "  Geyser  is  probably  the  most  remarkable  in  this 


GRESS. 

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XnAOABA  FALLS. 


NIAGARA  FALLS.— THE   NEW  STATE   PARK. 


t9| 


extraordinary  group ;  it  stands  on  a  mound,  and  has  a  crater  5  feet  in  diameter, 
and  throws  a  large  column  of  water  130  feet  into  the  air,  continuing  each  time 
it  exerts  itself  for  an  hour  and  a  half.  Twelve  miles  distant  from  this  point 
is  "Castle"  Geyser,  consisting  of  a  chimney  120  feet  in  diameter  at  the  base, 
60  feet  at  the  top,  12  feet  high,  with  a  3-foot  opening.  This  extraordinary 
geyser  is  situated  on  a  platform  100  feet  long  by  70  feet  wide,  and  sends 
a  column  of  water  to  a  height  of  over  250  feet.  It  works  at  intervals,  and  its 
time  of  active  operation  is  about  an  hour.  Another  geyser,  which  plays  with 
great  regularity  every  three-quarters  of  an  hour,  has  on  this  account  earned 
the  name  of  "Old  Faithful."  It  throws  a  stream  nearly  150  feet  in  the  air. 
There  are  many  other  geysers,  and  the  district  is  drained  of  its  hot  water  by 
the  F'irehole  River,  which  flows  into  the  Madison.  The  writer  of  the  Gvovern- 
ment  report  said  of  the  country  in  question :  "  No  other  locality,  I  think,  can 
b"  found  which  combines  so  many  attractions  both  of  climate  and  scenery." 
In  summer  the  atmosphere  is  pure  and  clear,  and  is  undisturbed  by  storms. 
The  Act  of  Congress  which  reserved  this  region  as  a  national  park,  stated 
that  it  was  "  reserved  and  withdrawn  from  settlement,  occupancy,  or  sale, 
under  the  laws  of  the  United  States,  and  dedicated  and  set  apart  as  a  public 
park  or  pleasuring  ground,  for  the  benefit  and  enjoyment  of  the  people," 
while  by  the  same  Act  it  was  placed  under  the  exclusive  control  of  the 
Secretary  of  the  Interior.    The  Park  is  65  miles  by  55  miles. 


t  >| 


NIAGARA  FALLS.-THE  NEW  STATE  PARK. 

There  is  probably  no  more  beautiful  sight  in  the  world  than  the  Falls  of 
Niagara,  and  a  sketch  of  the  Falls  and  the  surroundings  cannot  fail  to  be  of 
interest.      The 


illustrations  ac- 
companying 
this  sketch  are 
engraved  from 
photographs, 
and  are  de- 
signed to  give 
an  accurate  idea 
of  the  grandeur 
and  sublimity 
of  Nature's 
great  work.  The 
Niagara  River 
flows  from  Lake 
Erie  northward 
into   Lake  On-  '^"^  HORSE-SHOE  FALL. 

tano.     It  is  36  miles  long,  descending  334  feet  between  the  lakes.     It  is  three- 
quarters  of  a  mile  broad  at  Lake  Erie ;  but  as  it  flows  on,  it  becomes  several 


m 


THE  BRIDGE  LEADING  TO  BATH  AND  GOAT  ISLAND. 


184    PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN  PROGRESS. 

miles  wide,  making  robm  for  a  number  of  islands,  the  largest  of  which.  Grand 
Island,  is  12  miles  long,  and  from  2  to  7  broad.  At  the  foot  of  Grand  Island, 
which  reaches  within  i}4  miles  of  the  Falls  of  Niagara,  the  river  is  contracted 

to  a  breadth  of 

2^  miles,  and 
grows  narrower 
as  it  proceeds 
By  this  and  by 
the  descent  in 
the  channel, 
which  is  about 
60  feet  in  the 
mile  above  the 
Falls,  are  pro- 
duced the  swift 
currents  known 
as  the  Rapids, 
in  which  the 
river,  notwith- 
standing its  great  depth,  is  perpetually  white  with  foam.  At  the  Falls, 
which  are  22  miles  from  Lake  Erie,  the  river  is  divided  by  an  island  contain- 
ing about  75  acres,  called  Goat  Island ;  but  in  consequence  of  a  bend  in  the 
channel,  by  far  the  larger  portion  of  the  water  is  sent  down  by  the  Canadian 
side.  On  this  side,  therefore,  is  the  grander  cataract  which  has  been  named  the 
Horse-shoe  Fall,  but  no  longer  bears  the  name  appropriately,  as  the  precipice 
has  been  worn  from  a  curved  into  a  somewhat  angular  shape. 

The  separation  caused  by  Goat  Island  leaves  a  large  wall  of  rock  between 
the  Canadian  and  American  Falls,  the  latter  being  again  divided  by  an  islet 
at  a  short  distance  from  Goat 
Island.  This  fall  is  from  8 
to  ID  feet  higher  than  the 
Horse-shoe,  but  only  about 
220  yards  broad.  A  little 
above  the  fall  the  channel  is 
divided  by  Bath  Island,  which 
is  connected  by  bridges  with 
Goat  Island  and  the  Ameri- 
can shore.  A  small  tower, 
approached  from  Goat  Island, 
has  been  built  on  a  rock  over 
the  brow  of  the  Horse-shoe 
Fall ;  and  from  this  the  finest 


TABLE  ROCK,  HORSE-SHOE  FALL. 


view  on  the  American  side  maybe  obtained,  the  Table  Rock  on  the  Canadian  side 
giving  the  completest  view  of  the  entire  cataract.  The  Falls  can  also  be  seen 
from  below  on  both  sides,  and  every  facility  is  given  for  viewing  them  from  all 


NIAGARA  FALLS.~THE  NEW  STATE  PARK. 


185 


the  best  points,  while  magnificent  hotels,  Canadian  and  American,  offer  their 
inducements  to  the  tourist  to  stay  till  he  has  received  the  full  influence  of  the 
scenery.  The  river  is  crossed  about  2CX)  or  300  yards  below  the  Falls,  where 
it  is  1,200  yards  broad.  The  current  is  lessened  for  about  a  mile,  but  increases 
again  as  the  channel  becomes  narrower  and  the  descent  greater.  Between  3 
and  4  miles  below  the  Falls,  a  stratum  of  rock  runs  across  the  direct  course  of 
the  river,  which,  after  forming  a  vast  circular  basin,  with  an  impassable  whirl- 
pool, is  forced  away  at  right  angles  to  its  old  channel.  The  celebrated  wire 
suspension  bridge  for  the  Great  Western  Railway,  with  a  road  beneath  for 
vehicles  and  foot  passengers,  crosses  the  river  i^  miles  below  the  Falls ;  it  is 
800  feet  long,  40  broad,  and  200  feet  above  the  surface  of  the  water. 

This  process  of  wearing  away  goes  on  gradually  still,  a  large  projection  on 
the  Canadian  bank,  known  as  the  Table  Rock,  having  partly  fallen  off  in  1863. 
The  Horse-shoe  Fall  is  above 
600  yards  in  breadth,  and 
about  154  feet  in  height. 
The  water  is  so  deep  that 
it  retains  its  green  color  for 
some  distance  below  the 
brow  of  the  precipice ;  and 
it  rushes  over  with  such  force 
that  it  is  thrown  about  50 
feet  from  the  foot  of  the 
cliff.  One  may  thus,  having 
donned  an  oil-skin  dress, 
enter  2  or  3  yards  behind 
the  curved  sheet  of  water ; 
but  the  spray  is  so  blinding, 
the  din  so  deafening,  and  the 
current  of  air  so  strong,  that 
it  requires  a  tolerably  calm 
nerve  and  firm  foot. 

The  village  of  Niagara 
depends  chiefly  on  the  pat- 
ronage of  the  visitors  to  the 
Falls  for  its  prosperity.     The 

entire  domain,  secured  by  the  State  for  a  public  park  at  an  expense  of  one  and 
a  half  millions,  amounts  to  106  acres.  By  this  large  acquisition  the  State  now 
owns  the  most  remarkable  park  on  earth.  By  reason  of  the  changes  made  no 
one  who  has  heretofore  visited  Niagara  would  recognize  it  in  its  new  dress. 
The  construction  at  Falls  View  on  the  Canadian  side,  of  a  glass  pavilion,  400 
feet  long,  to  be  called  the  "  Crystal  Palace,"  will  be  commenced  at  once.  The 
promenade  will  be  twelve  feet  higher  than  the  present  terrace  in  use.  On  the 
American  side,  diagonally  opposite  to  the  entrance  to  Prospect  Park,  a  large 
and  beautiful  Opera  House  has  been  built.    The  design  of  this  building  is  a 


TERRAPIN  TOWER,  HORSE-SHOE  FALL,  FROM 
AMERICAN  SIDE. 


■,» 


Ml 


y^ 


.  klAGARA  FROM  NEAR  QUEENSTOWN  HEIGHTS. 


i86    PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN   PROGRESS. 

marvel  of  modern  architecture.  A  new  steam  yacht  and  ferryboat  called  the 
"  Maid  of  the  Mist "  has  been  launched  at  the  foot  of  the  inclined  railway,  and 
adds  a  novel  effect  to  the  caflon  scenery.    Numerous  other  improvements, 

particularly 
about  the  ri- 
parian  homes 
along  River 
Street,are  being 
effected,  so  that 
Niagara  p  r  e  - 
sents  a  totally 
new  appearance 
vastly  grander 
and  more  pic- 
turesque than 
has  heretofore 
been  witnessed 
at  this  favorite 
resort.  Since 
the  opening  of 

the  new  park,  making  it  free  to  all,  the  number  of  visitors  has  largely  increased. 
A  walk  around  the  approaches  of  Niagara  at  the  present  time  is  a  blissful 
experience  compared  to  any  attempts  in  other  years.  The  American  side 
presents  a  long  array  of  shaded  green  terrace  unobstructed  by  old  fences  and 
broken-down  buildings,  while  opposite  the  full  picture  of  Goat's  Island,  strongly 
contrasting,  with  its  wild  beauty,  numerous  variety  of  trees  and  underbrush, 
looks  like  a  freak  of  nature  heretofore  unseen.  Bath  Island,  once  loath- 
and    hid- 


some 

den  with  old 
mills,  bursts 
forth  in  a  carpet 
of  green. 

Niagara  has 
numerous  ho- 
tels. Champlain 
made  the  first 
map  of  the  place 
In  1603.  The 
waters  of  Lakes 
Erie,  Superior, 
St.  Clair,  Huron, 
Michigan,    and 

several  smaller  lakes  flow  into  the  river ;  it  has  a  constant  supply  winter  and 
summer.  The  river  has  a  descent  of  104  feet  in  7  miles  between  the  foot  of  the 
Falls  and  Lewiston.    Its  course  is  between  perpendicular  walls  nearly  300  feet 


RIVER  NIAGARA,  BELOW  THE  FALLS— THE  CANADA  SIDE. 


NIAGARA  FALLS.— THE  NEW  STATE  PARK. 


187 


i  . 


high.  From  Lewiston  to  Lake  Ontario  the  chasm  gradually  diminishes  to  30 
feet.  It  is  claimed  by  geologists  that  this  great  chasm  has  been  formed  by 
the  action  of  the  water  through  countless  ages  on  the  limestone  strata.    Large 


'  \     .      " 

"     -Ml 

"^-  \  ■-.' 

:.^^-- 

■•  ; 

■,  r 

-  ■    ,'r  . 

■: 

■-     T 

;v* 

^"f".-S'- 

-; 

_;....   -    ... 

•  -^ 

-?--»■   <7.- 

3iV* 

.,-=c-  r 

-^^ 

~~'~jzlZ.-'' 

'-'•Si 

P5^     r     «  I  111 

^^^^■jf^'r-     ■-^-'^■=-i---- =^ '0^^--^^::.:.    ----^- S^         1    IlllfgUl 

^^^^^HMUBBtinii..^                                      ^^-              --      ^_M^dflMilElllli 

;i    ^>  ^ 

'■i;  :i  3     r- 

.iilu.,.i,ll"'l''ll',llllllll'lll'IIIMIIIIIlll]i  '1 i'Mi.iiiiii;r  ■"'Kllllli,'".'  :ililli:n'i|i,;iiiiill!iliailliiiiiiiiiiiiiM      r-'^i  . 

:^^-^ 

^mmBkaikLf  <  ^      UT    T  \    j||||||||p!i||p|||y 

-X--:-  *'v=     ' 

Wg»--^ 

..:-  '  ^^iT^  ' 

-;       ?           ._,—:-       >rC'^:^^ 

^^-             ..  ■  ^^^'.■"  Vi?^^     V'  v   ■  ^  '^' 

>     vS 

NIAGARA   SUSPENSION   BRIDGE. 

portions  of  the  edge  of  the  precipice  on  the  American  side  gave  way  in  1818, 
and  portions  of  the  Horse-shoe  Fall  gave  way  in  1828,  and  at  various  times 
since  then  other  portions  have  broken  down.     It  is  estimated  by  an  eminent 

authority  that 
I  foot  of  the 
precipice  at  the 
Falls  wears 
away  each  year. 
Niagara  pre- 
sents a  scene  of 
great  sublimity 
and  grandeur 
not  only  in  sum- 
mer, but  in  the 
winter,  when 
the  ice  in  the 
river  presents  a 
wonderful 
scenic    eflfect, 

and  is  visited  by  thousands  from  all  parts  of  the  world.  We  advise  all  lovers 
of  the  beautiful  and  romantic  in  natural  scenery  to  visit  Niagara,  believing 
that  they  will  derive  the  same  pleasure  from  an  acqua^intance  with  its  won,* 


NIAGARA   RIVER— THE   WHIRLPOOL. 


1^ 


m 

■If! 


V- 


188    PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN   PROGRESS. 

derful  scenic  attractions  that  the  writer  has  enjoyed.  At  every  point  new 
and  varied  scenery  greets  the  eye,  and  the  deafening  roar  of  the  waters  is 
grand  and  impressive.  The  marvels  and  beauties  it  reveals  will  long  be 
enshrined  in  the  heart  of  the  visitor.  This  remarkable  wonder  of  Nature 
has  now  become  so  widely  known  and  so  highly  appreciated  that  it  ranks  as 
one  of  the  greatest  attractions  of  the  American  Continent.  Its  wild  grandeur 
and  beauty  must  be  seen  to  be  appreciated.  No  words  can  describe  it  and  do 
it  justice.  It  is  no  wonder  that  the  tide  of  travel  has  set  toward  it  from  all 
directions.  Its  profound  and  sublime  fall  of  water  causes  the  visitor  to  specu- 
late on  its  wonderful  formation. 


THE  THOUSAND  ISLANDS. 

The  St.  Lawrence  River  is  the  volume  of  the  overflow  of  Lakes  Superior, 
Michigan,  Huron,  Erie,  and  Ontario.  Its  course  is  in  a  general  northeasterly 
direction.  From  the  point  of  its  ddboucher  from  Lake  Ontario  to  the  crossing 
of  the  45th  parallel  at  Cornwall,  it  forms  the  boundary  line  between  New 
York  State  and  the  Province  of  Ontario,  Canada,  a  distance  of  85  miles.  For 
a  further  distance  of  more  than  4(X)  miles  it  leads  through  the  Canadian  Prov- 
ince of  Montreal  and  Quebec.  The  final  200  miles,  or  nearly  all  of  that  portion 
below  the  city  of  Quebec,  is  practically  a  vast  sound,  varying  in  width  from 
6  to  30  miles.  The  ever-varying  features  and  the  constant  change  of  vista 
afforded  the  voyager,  overflowing  at  every  turn  with  unexpected  instances  of 
those  combinations  of  water,  land,  and  sky  which  we  recognize  as  beautiful, 
make  up  the  charm  and  glory  of  the  Upper  St.  Lawrence  River. 

Much  has  been  said  by  a  multitude  of  writers  concerning  the  rapids  of  the 
St.  Lawrence,  down  which  the  large  and  staunch  passenger  steamers  daily 
perform  their  exciting  and  apparently  perilous  descent.  These  rapids  are 
seven  in  number,  and  are  divided  by  intervals  of  smooth  waters  and  broad 
lakes.  Between  the  passage  of  the  Long  Sault  and  the  Lachine  there  is  an 
interval  in  voyaging  down-stream  of  about  five  hours;  the  return  is  made  by 
all  craft  around  the  rapids  through  a  series  of  costly  canals. 

The  St.  Lawrence  was  originally  known  as  the  Great  River  of  Canada,  and 
was  also  known  by  the  names  of  Cataraqui  and  the  Iroquois.  The  name  it 
now  bears  was  bestowed  upon  it  by  the  explorer  Jacques  Cartier,  who  first 
penetrated  its  mouth  upon  the  festival  day  of  St.  Lawrence.  ' 

The  steamboat  express,  which  is  a  part  of  the  through  route  via  the 
St.  Lawrence  River  to  Montreal,  leaves  Niagara  Falls  over  the  Lake  Shore 
Division  of  the  Rome,  Watertown  &  Ogdensburg  Railroad,  arriving  at  the 
thriving  town  of  Clayton,  where  close  connection  is  made  with  the  steamer  for 
Alexandria  Bay  and  the  trip  down  the  St.  Lawrence.  Through  sleepers 
arrive  here  every  morning,  also  from  New  York,  which  is  only  1 1  hours  distant 
via  Utica  and  Albany.    All  lines  of  steamers  stop  at  Clayton. 

If  you  corpe  from  the  West,  you  will  be  on  board  the  steamer  at  Clayton 


LESS. 

oint  new 
waters  is 

long  be 
•f  Nature 
:  ranks  as 

grandeur 
it  and  do 
t  from  all 

to  specu- 


1  Superior, 
theasterly 
le  crossing 
veen  New 
liles.  For 
dian  Prov- 
lat  portion 
/idth  from 
;e  of  vista 
istances  of 
I  beautiful, 

pids  of  the 
mers  daily 
rapids  are 
and  broad 
there  is  an 
is  made  by 

Canada,  and 
he  name  it 
r,  who  first 

ite  via  the 
Lake  Shore 
ving  at  the 
steamer  for 
gh  sleepers 
Durs  distant 

at  Clayton 


t, 


: 


m 


ti'i 


I '' 


^ 


THE  THOUSAND  ISLANDS. 


191 


Q 


h-V 


just  as  the  sun  has  fairly  thrown  off  the  rosy  drapery  of  his  couch,  and  touch- 
ing at  Round  Island,  Thousand  Island  Park,  Central  Park,  and  Alexandria 
Jay,  within  the  next 
hour  you  will  find 
the  pretty  skiffs  or 
convenient  steam 
yachts  of  scores  of 
cottages  waiting  to 
capture  and  bear 
awuy  among  the 
islands  their  happy, 
newly-arrived  guests, 
and  you  are  indeed 
fortunate  if  you  are 
numbered  among 
these. 

There  is  a  strange 
enchantment  in  the 
stilly  mornings  here. 
The  city,  its  pressing 
cares,  its  hurry,  heed- 
less, and  often  heart- 
less strife  for  su- 
premacy, seem  far 
away,  and  as  unreal 
as  a  troubled  dream 
that  is  past.  Some- 
times the  voices  of 

nature  hint  to  us  that  here  is  the  true  life  to  lead — that  all  else  is  dross  and  a 
delusion.  Dawn  ushers  in  the  beginning  of  the  through  traveller's  trip  down 
the  river,  and  he  makes  up  his  mind  whether  or  no  the  vaunted  Thousand 
Islands  are  all  that  they  are  claimed  to  be.  First,  let  it  be  understood  that 
all  of  the  land  you  can  see  to  the  left  is  made  up  of  islands,  one  overlapping 
the  othei^  along  the  distance  until  they  give  the  impression  of  being  con- 
tinuous coast  line.  Not  so ;  they  are  threaded  by  many  devious  and  charming 
channels. 

As  Round  Island  is  approached  the  graceful  proportions  of  the  large  hotel 
in  its  centre  are  revealed  through  interstices  in  the  dense  foliage  along  its 
shores.  From  this  point  there  is  a  charming  succession  of  pretty,  brightly- 
painted  cottages  all  along  the  clifT-like  frontage  of  the  island.  Each  year 
witnesses  the  rearing  of  scores  of  costly  and  beautiful  villas  upon  coigns  of 
vantage,  and  island  property  appreciates  rapidly  in  value.  After  passing 
Round  Island  we  have  a  fine  view  of  Thousand  Island  Park  and  the  clustered 
islands  in  its  vicinity.  We  soon  enter  the  narrow  precinct  of  the  American 
channel,  which  for  several  miles  separates  Wellsley  Island  from  the  mainland. 


BETWEEN   THE    ISLANDS. 


V. 


192   PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN   PROGRESS. 

Rock  Island  is  on  the  right,  and  beautiful  cottages  are  here,  there,  and  every, 
where. 

At  the  lower  end  of  Densmore  Bay,  vhich  indents  Wellsley  Island  at  this 
point,  are  the  "  Seven  Isles,"  a  most  romantic  spot,  which  one  must  needs 
explore  with  a  row-boat  to  discover  its  hidden  charms.  "  Bella  Vista,"  a  large 
and  costly  place,  is  now  noted  upon  the  right,  distinguishable  by  its  square 
tower  and  ultra-modern  style  of  architecture.     Perched  upon  the  cap  of  a  cliff 


! 


I 


ON  THE   ISLANDS. 


stand?  the  villa  known  as  "  Louisiana  Point."  The  tall  tower  looming  abovf 
the  trees  of  a  mid-stream  island  ahead  is  the  large  villa  upon  Comfort  Island. 

Within  easy  hail  down-stream  is  Nobby  Island.  It  hides  modestly  behind 
Friendly  Island.  To  the  west  of  Nobby  Island  stands  Welcome  Island.  A 
pretty  cottage  stands  in  its  centre.  A  notable  property  passed  by  the  steamer 
just  before  reaching  the  "  Bay,"  and  the  last  in  the  channel,  is  that  of  Mr. 
Albert  B.  Pullman,  of  Chicago,  known  as  Cherry  Island. 

As  the  steamer  rounds  up  to  her  dock  at  Alexandria  Bay,  the  wealth  and 
variety  of  picturesque  surrounding,  in  which  the  natural  and  artificial  are  so 


)  I 

*  '.1 
1  sil 


f? 


m 


BOUND   ISLAND   PARK. 


IHWi 


THE  THOUSAND   ISLANDS. 


195 


happily  blended,  almost  bewilder  the  new-comer,  whose  imagination  must  be 
vivid  indeed  if  he  has  conjured  from  the  recesses  of  expectation  anything  half 
so  beautiful.  The  huge  and  shapely  hotels  loom  up  close  beside  the  water, 
and  sable  representatives  of  each  lay  in  wait  for  the  coming  tourist  upon  the 
wharf.  In  the  foreground  of  the  accompanying  picture  of  Alexandria  Bay  is 
seen  the  famous  Thousand  Island  House,  Charles  P.  Clemes,  manager. 

Round  Island,  occupied  as  Round  Island  Park,  is  located  in  the  centre  of 
the  American  channel,  8  miles  above  Alexandria  Bay.  One  hundred  and  fifty 
acres  of  land,  beautifully  diversified  by  sun  and  shade,  are  contained  in  the 
island,  every  portion  ot  which  has  some  special  attraction.  The  entire  island 
is  under  the  management  of "  The  Round  Island  Park "  Company,  a  stock 
company  with  a  capital  of  $50,000.    The  hotel  is  modern,  and  well  conducted. 

There  are  no  two  sunsets  just  alike  at  Round  Island.  Each  day  brings 
some  special  beauty.  The  going  down  of  the  sun,  as  it  sinks  upon  the  green 
Canadian  hills,  realizes  the  finest  phenomenon  in  nature,  save  only  that  of  light 
itself.  Whether  the  declining  orb  drapes  himself  with  the  purple  and  gold  of 
a  royal  couch,  or  sinks  amid  the  tears  and  sackcloth  betokening  a  coming 
storm,  he  is  always  grand  in  his  leave-taking.  Men  in  all  ages  have  con- 
templated this  phenomenon  with  awe  and  admiration — even  to  adoration. 
What  a  place  for  a  moonlight  row !  What  enchanted  islets  to  thread  between, 
if  one  but  knows  the  way !  In  midsummer  there  are  veritably  but  five  hours 
of  darkness  upon  the  St.  Lawrence.  At  10  o'clock  the  sunset  yet  stains  the 
western  sky ;  and  soon  after  3  there  are  manifest  tokens  of  the  coming  of 
another  day. 

The  Methodist  organization,  known  as  the  Thousand  Island  Park  Asso- 
ciation, began  its  operations  in  1875  by  the  purchase  of  a  large  territory  at  the 
head  of  Wellsley  Island,  aggregating  i  ,000  acres.  Thousand  Island  Park  now 
stands,  with  its  300  tasty  cottages,  as  the  most  extensive  of  the  denominational 
resorts  upon  the  river.  The  new  hotel,  erected  last  season,  is  a  large  and 
costly  structure,  which  must  aid  greatly  in  advancing  the  interests  of  the  park. 
As  at  Chautauqua,  a  regular  programme  of  the  season's  exercises  is  announced. 

It  is  a  mooted  question  if  the  islands  which  dot  the  broadened  river  in 
front  of  Alexandria  Bay  look  their  prettiest  at  sunrise  or  eventide.  Far  away 
the  camp-fires  begin  to  twinkle  out  of  the  mellow  purple  gloom,  and  the  merry 
sounds  of  human  occupancy  float  out  from  the  island  homes.  It  is  an  hour  of 
repose  which  even  the  wordy  wrangling  on  the  dock  concerning  the  "  catches  " 
of  the  day  can  scarce  disturb ;  but  wait,  a  finer  thing  is  yet  to  come.  Take 
supper  and  come  out  half  an  hour  later.  Now,  displayed  against  the  black 
masses  where  the  islands  stand,  beneath  the  lingering  stain  of  the  sunset,  are 
a  score  of  devices,  wrought  in  twinkling  lamps ;  here  an  anchor,  there  a  star,  a 
harp,  or  initial  letter.  Far  up  toward  the  cap  of  the  lofty  tower  upon  the 
Thousand  Tsland  House  glows  the  white  heat  of  an  electric  lamp,  and  along 
every  cornice  through  the  garden  below  and  over  among  the  rock  and  verdure 
of  the  illuminated  Crossman  House,  a  thousand  lamps  and  torches  dance  in 
the  eddying  night-windj  each  tiny  flame  caught  up  and  reflected  on  every 


196    PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN  PROGRESS. 

ripple  of  the  deep  black  stream ;  and  as  we  gaze  and  admire,  the  night  is 
pierced  by  the  swift  flight  of  rockets,  which  mount  into  the  dome  of  heaven, 
and,  shattering  there,  scatter  particolored  stars  far  out  upon  the  silent  tide. 

The  largest  and  most  costly,  if  not  the  most  picturesque,  of  the  many 
hundreds  of  cottages  along  the  river  are  found  in  the  vicinity  of  Alexandria 
Bay,  many  of  them  being  within  an  easy  row  of  the  dock.  The  passing 
voyager,  who  only  looks  at  these  places  from  the  steamer's  deck,  can  have  but 
slight  idea  of  the  loving  care,  even  extravagant  outlay,  lavished  upon  many  of 
them.  One  of  the  best-known  properties  in  the  vicinity  is  "  Bonnie  Castle," 
the  property  and  favorite  home  of  the  late  Dr.  J.  G.  Holland.  It  is  said  that 
the  final  words  of  that  genial  and  popular  writer,  who  died  in  October,  1881, 
after  a  joyous  summer  at  "  Bonnie  Castle,"  related  to  his  life  here,  which  had 


"BONNIE   CASTLE. 


extended  through  five  summers.  "  It  is  to  me,"  he  said,  "  the  sweetest  spot 
on  earth."  He  then  went  on  to  speak  of  the  constant,  all-winter  longing  he 
felt,  almost  counting  the  days  to  the  approach  of  the  time  when  he  could 
escape  the  weariness,  or  as  he  expressed  it,  the  "  incessant  grind,"  of  the  city 
to  this  delightful  home.  Dr.  Holland  is  also  credited  with  the  mot :  "  We  stay 
in  New  York,  but  we  live  upon  the  St.  Lawrence." 

Over  beyond  the  islands  which  shut  out  the  western  horizon,  when  looking 
from  the  Bay,  is  Westminster  Park,  which  occupies  an  extensive  domain  upon 
the  lower  er  Vellsley  Island.     This  park,  like  others  upon  the  river,  Is 

under  denom...«4,ional  influence,  being  of  Presbyterian  bias.  The  hotel,  known 
as  the  Westminster,  is  composed  of  two  roomy  buildings.  In  Poplar  Bay  one 
finds  a  commodious  dock,  and  a  semicircle  of  bright  and  pretty  homes.  Just 
here  is  the  entrance  to  the  weird  Lake  of  the  Island,  a  large  pond  hidden 


ESS. 


THE  THOUSAND  ISLANDS. 


197 


night  is 
f  heaven, 
it  tide, 
the  many 
Uexandria 
le  passing 
\  have  but 
n  many  of 
ite  Castle," 
s  said  that 
ober,  1881, 
which  had 


away  in  the  midst  of  Wellsley  Island,  to  which  access  is  had  through  a  narrow 
and  precipitous  channel.  This  pond  or  lake  is  two  miles  in  length  and  nearly 
a  mile  in  width. 

On  leaving  Alexandria  Bay  for  Montreal,  scattering  islands,  many  of  them 
quite  as  wild  as  when  the  white  man  first  voyaged  here,  are  passed  all  the  way 
down  to  Brockville,  where  the  Thousand  Island  system  terminates  in  a  group 
called  the  "Three  Sisters."  Brockville  is  a  substantial  Canadian  city  of  10,000 
people.  It  is  125  miles  from  Montreal  by  the  river.  The  reader  will  note 
the  large  number  of  fine  private  properties  along  the  rugged  river  front,  both 
above  and  belov;  the  town.  Immediately  opposite  is  the  American  town  of 
Morristown.  Fourteen  miles  beyond,  the  Canadian  town  of  Prescott  and  the 
American  city  of  Ogdensburg  stand  vis-a-vis  upon  the  banks  of  the  river.  A 
railway  connects  the  St.  Lawrence  at  this  point  with  Ottawa,  the  Canadian 
capital.  Ogdensburg  is  the  focal  point  of  three  lines  of  railway,  and  a  depot 
for  a  vast  transhipment  of  grain  and  lumber  from  the  West.  It  has  an 
energetic  population  of  nearly  12,000  largely  engaged  in  manufacturing  and 
internal  commerce. 

Five  miles  below  Ogdensburg  is  Chimney  Island,  where  vestiges  of  French 
fortifications  still  exist,  and  immediately  below  are  the  first  of  the  series  of 
rapids,  the  Gallopes,  and  shortly  thereafter  the  Rapide  de  Plat  is  met.  Neither 
of  these  swift  places  is  especially  exciting,  but  they  serve  as  a  preliminary  to 
the  great  Long  Sault  (pronounced  long  sou),  which  is  next  in  order.  A  long 
reach  of  smooth  water  intervenes,  however,  during  which  we  pass  the  small 
American  town  of  Waddington  and  the  attractive  Canadian  city  of  Morris- 
burg,  Just  below  this  place  is  the  battle-field  of  Chrisler's  Farm,  where  an 
engagement  occurred  in  181 3  between  British  and  American  forces,  while  the 
latter  were  marching  to  the  capture  of  Montreal  and  Quebec.  Over  upon  the 
American  side  is  Massena  Landing,  whence  a  stage  connecting  with  a  steam 
ferry  runs  to  the  fine  old  medicinal  resort  known  as  Massena  Springs,  which, 
aside  from  its  picturesque  and  healthful  location,  the  excellent  Hatfield  House, 
and  good  fishing,  boasts  of  remarkably  strong  and  potent  sulphur  waters. 

At  Dickinson's  Landing,  the  boat,  which  is  well  fitted  for  her  daily  task  of 
breasting  the  wild  surges  of  the  rapids,  turns  in  the  swift  current,  and  a  mile 
ahead  the  passengers  see  the  white,  stormy  waters  of  the  Long  Sault  stretch- 
ing from  shore  to  shore.  Now  the  real  fun  begins.  There  is  a  sudden  hush 
to  the  monotone  of  the  steamer's  pulsations.  We  are  in  the  grasp  of  the 
current.  Extra  men  are  at  the  wheel,  and  others  are  aft  in  charge  of  a  spare 
tiller.  If  you  are  inclined  to  be  nervous  now,  remember  that  steamers  have 
been  going  down  here  ever  since  1840,  and  no  passenger  vessel  has  ever  been 
wrecked  in  the  rapids.  The  first  plunge  is  over  a  cascade  at  "  the  cellar,"  and 
is  exhilarating.  We  are  no  sooner  into  the  vast  expanse  of  broken  waters 
than  fresh  sensations  await  us.  Look  at  the  shore  1  Heavens,  how  we  slide 
along !  Now  across  our  way  a  vast  green  billow,  like  the  oncoming  surge  of 
the  ocean  upon  soundings  after  a  nor'easter,  disputes  our  passage.  It  is  of 
the  beautiful  green  where  the  sunlight  shows  through  its  wedge-like  cap  that 


I 

I 


198  PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN  PROGRESS. 

one  sees  upon  the  coral  beds  of  Nassau,  or  at  the  deep  centre  of  the  Horse- 
shoe Fall  at  Niagara,  or  in  drug-store  jars.  It  does  not  rise  and  fall,  advance 
and  recede.  It  simply  stands  there  forever,  a  vast  wall  of  water  through 
which  we  cleave  our  way  with  a  fierce,  brief  struggle,  only  to  meet  a  second,  a 
third,  a  fourth  like  wave  beyond. 

The  rapids  are  about  two  miles  in  length,  but  there  is  a  continuance  of 
reasonably  swift  water  for  several  miles  further.    The  actual  fight  between  the 

boat  and  the 
angry  billows  is 
over  in  less  than 
three  minutes. 
The  important 
town  of  Corn- 
wall, where  sev- 
eral large  fac- 
tories are  lo- 
cated, is  shortly 
seen  upon  the 
Canadian  shore. 
After  leaving 
Cornwall  we 
bid  good-bye  to 
American  soil, 
for  here  the  iii- 
ternat  ional 
boundary  line 
intersects  the 
river. 

Four  miles 
below  Cornwall 
the  Indian  vil- 
lage of  St. 
Regis  is  noted 
on  the  right 
shore.  .We  are 
now  on  t  h  e 
broad  Lake  St, 

Francis,  which  is  about  25  miles  long.  We  pass  the  village  of  Lancaster  on 
the  left  shore  of  the  lake,  when  we  arrive  at  the  river  once  more.  It  dashes 
off  impetuously  just  after  leaving  the  village  of  Coteau  du  Lac,  and  carries  us 
headlong  down  the  "  Coteau  Rapids,"  which  are  about  2  miles  long ;  then  the 
"  Cedars,"  3  miles,  and  the  Cascades,  the  village  at  the  foot  of  which  is  Beau- 
harnois ;  and  now  a  second  lake  is  met,  as  if  the  river  dreaded  the  final  plunge 
down  the  famous  Lachine.  Lake  St.  Peter  is  12  miles  across  the  village  of 
Lachine. 


DOWN   THE    RAPIDS. 


#1A 


i 


WATKINS'  GLEN. 


Total  Ascent^  SQo/ett. 


WATKINS  GLEN. 


201 


We  are  now  in  sight  of  the  great  city  of  Montreal.  The  village  of  Lachine 
is  simply  a  picturesque  suburb  of  the  city.  The  reader  may  ask  why  the 
curious  name,  La  Chine  (The  China),  is  applied  to  this  point.  It  is  said  that 
the  earlier  voyagers  believed  that  the  St.  Lawrence  opened  a  way  to  the 
Pacific,  and  therefore  to  the  Flowery  Kingdom. 

From  the  deck  of  the  steamer  the  passenger  may  see  the  bold  outline, 
standing  out  against  the  sunset,  of  a  huge  stone  watch-tower,  and  if  close 
enough  the  crumbling  remains  of  two  stone  forts,  built  to  protect  the  settle- 
ments along  Lake  St.  Louis  from  the  savages.  Onward  forges  our  speedy 
craft,  and  ere  long  the  troubled  waters  of  Lachine  are  seen  far  ahead,  a  snowy 
breastwork  across  our  path.  The  lake  is  again  a  river.  We  are  abreast  the 
village  of  Lachine,  where  the  canal  from  Montreal  debouches  into  the  St.  Law- 
rence. The  muddy  Ottawa  pours  its  tide  into  the  pure  blue  waters  in  which 
we  have  voyaged  since  morning,  as  the  Missouri  pollutes  the  Mississippi. 
We  are  drifting  steadily  down  toward  the  rapids.  The  bell  signals  "go 
ahead,"  and  the  Indian  pilot,  who  has  come  aboard  from  a  skifl,  takes  supreme 
command  at  the  wheel.  A  little  while  later  and  we  are  in  the  vortex ;  the 
current  grows  swift  and  swifter ;  all  the  mighty  outpouring  of  the  stream  is 
pent  up  in  a  single  channel ;  all  the  bosom  of  the  river  is  covered  with  reefs 
and  rocks.  The  boat  heads  this  way  and  that ;  down  we  plunge,  and  onward 
straight  toward  a  rocky  islet !  Which  side?  Just  as  destruction  seems  immi- 
nent, the  vessel  sweeps  round  to  the  right,  and  shoots  like  an  arrow  between 
two  sunken  ledges.  We  are  through,  and  can  look  back  up  the  watery  hill, 
we  have  descended,  and  admire  the  courage  of  the  men  who  first  navigated 
this  wonderful  channel. 

The  once  marvellous  Victoria  Bridge  comes  into  view.  In  a  few  moments 
we  steam  beneath  it  and  swing  around  the  dangerous  shoals  that  bar  the 
terminus  of  deep-water  navigation,  and  heading  up-stream  are  speedily  at  the 
lock,  within  which,  as  the  steamer  rises  to  the  upper  level,  the  passengers  are 
landed.  In  Montreal,  an  account  of  which  is  given  elsewhere,  the  Windsor, 
stately  and  American-like,  plays  an  important  part  in  the  pleasures  of  spend- 
ing a  portion  of  each  year  upon  the  grand  and  changeless  St.  Lawrence.  It  is 
the  memory  of  happy  days  in  other  years  when  the  picture  of  care-free  hours 
has  included  our  warmest  friends,  the  whole  framed  with  the  exquisite  environ- 
ment of  the  islands,  which  solaces  us  for  the  cold  and  cheerless  days  of  winter 
which  must  intervene  before  we  can  again  take  up  this  ideal  habit  of  life.  All 
indications  point  toward  a  brilliant  future  for  the  island  region  and  the  tour 
of  the  river. 


\'\ 


{ 


jf 


r 


WATKINS  G-LEN. 

This  beautiful  Glen  is  situated  west  of  and  partly  in  the  village  of 
Watkins,  Schuyler  County,  N.  Y.,  near  the  head  of  Seneca  Lake.  It  is  20 
miles  from  Elmira  and  40  from  Geneva.  It  is  on  the  Geneva  &  Coming  Rail- 
road ;  also,  on  the  Northern  Central  Railroad,  which  connects  at  Canandaigua 


202    PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN    PROGRESS. 


with  the  New  York  Central  Railroad.  It  Is  also  reached  by  a  line  of  steamers, 
running  from  Geneva  to  Watkins,  over  Seneca  Lake,  touching  at  all  points. 
This  is  a  delightful  way  of  reaching  the  Glen  from  the  north,  as  the  scenery 
of  this  beautiful  lake  is  equal  to  anything  on  the  continent.  The  word  Glen 
gives  but  a  faint  idea  of  the  gorge ;  it  is  a  marvellous  rift  in  the  mountain, 
which  appears  to  have  been  made  by  some  stupendous  earthquake. 

The  Glen,  with  iti  dashing,  flashing,  cascading  stream,  is  a  really  wonderful 
natural  curiosity.  It  is  not  properly  a  glen,  but  a  numerous  succession  and 
variety  of  glens.  At  every  turn  there  is  material  for  a  w  onderful  picture.  It 
is  one  of  Nature's  reservoirs  of  eternal  coolness.  Even  in  July  and  August 
the  air  is  cool,  fresh,  and  bracing ;  laden  with  sweet  odors,  the  fragrance  of 
many  flowers.  It  is  renowned  the  world  over  for  its  wonderful  scenery.  It  is 
as  well  worthy  a  visit  as  the  Falls  of  Niagara.  The  total  ascent  of  the  Glen  is 
about  800  feet.  Looking  upward,  what  a  sight  bursts  upon  us !  Towering 
and  irregular  cliffs  of  dark  rock,  angular  and  sullen,  rise  one  above  another  till 
they  appear  to  meet  in  the  clouds,  and  seem  to  forbid  approach.  At  numerous 
places  in  the  Glen  we  pause,  and  wonder  how  it  is  possible  to  go  much 
farther,  the  way  appears  impassable,  and  the  distance  so  inaccessible ;  but  as 
we  advance  the  path  always  opens,  and  gives  far  more  interest  to  the  ascent 
than  though  we  could  clearly  mark  our  way  before  us. 

Minnehaha  is  one  of  the  numerous  beautiful  cascades ;  it  is  irregular,  yet 
full  of  grace.  The  waier,  broken  several  times  in  its  fall,  is  dashed  into  foam 
and  spray,  which  forms  a  brilliant  contrast  to  the  dark,  rocky  surroundings. 
About  icx)  feet  beyond  Minnehaha  is  the  Fairy  Cascade,  which,  with  one 
graceful  bound,  leaps  into  Neptune's  Pool.  For  sublimity  and  grandeur  Cavern 
Gorge  is  probably  unsurpassed  by  any  in  the  Glen.  Near  this  beautiful 
cavern  is  another,  known  as  Cavern  Cascade,  which  leaps  60  feet  in  a  single 
column  from  the  rocks  above  into  what  is  known  as  the  Grotto,  which  is  a 
dark,  damp,  weird  cavern. 

After  emerging  from  the  dark  chasm,  we  see  before  us  silvery  cascades 
quiet  pools,  and  moss-garnished  walls,  overarched  by  stately  forest  trees  and 
thick  shrubbery,  with  a  broad  light  flooding  the  distance;  and  far  above 
through  the  emerald  foliage,  like  a  web  of  gossamer,  is  seen  the  beautiful  iron 
bridge  spanning  the  Glen.  The  beauty  of  the  foliage  is  very  impressive,  and 
the  vegetation  is  almost  tropical.  From  this  point  along  the  verge  of  the 
gorge  is  a  "  new  "  pathway,  with  a  fine  stairway,  broken  by  platforms  recently 
erected,  and  which  leads  to  the  building  known  as  the  "  Swiss  Cottage,"  now 
a  cottage  of  the  Glen  Mountain  House,  the  only  hotel  connected  with  the 
Glen,  which  is  located  on  a  sort  of  natural  shelf,  100  feet  above  the  level  of 
the  stream,  and  200  feet  above  the  level  of  Glen  Alpha,  overlooking  The 
Vista,  and  nestling  among  the  trees  and  shrubbery.  Thousands  of  feet  of 
pathways  and  many  of  the  stairs  are  cut  in  the  solid  rock. 

A  few  rods  above  the  Mountain  House  is  situated  Hope's  Art  Gallery, 
which  was  built  by  Captain  J.  Hope,  late  of  82  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York,  and 
contains  a  superb  collection  of  more  than  100  of  his  finest  and  most  celebrated 


I  i 


1 1' 


GLEN  MOUNTAIN  HOUSE,  WATKINS  GLEN. 


WATKINS  GLEN. 


ao| 


paintings.  From  this  point  Sylvan  Gorge  is  not  far  distant.  It  is  considered 
one  of  the  wildest,  most  beautiful,  and  interesting  portions  '  the  Glen.  A 
Auccession  of  little  rapids  and  cascades  leap  into  Sylvan  Gorge,  of  which  the 
upper  termination  is  called  the  Sylvan  Rapids,  and  they  glide  and  dance  very 
beautifully  through  their  irregular  rocky  channel.  Here  we  have  a  delightful 
bird's-eye  view  down  through  Sylvan  Gorge,  with  its  many  windings  and 
mysterious  recesses. 

Looking  upward  we  find  ourselves  in  Glen  Cathedral.  All  attempt  at 
description  fails,  and  words  are  inadequate  to  paint  a  picture  that  would  do 
this  subject  justice,  or  convey  to  the  mind  an  idea  of  its  grandeur.  The 
Cathedral  is  an  immense  oblong  amphitheatre,  nearly  an  eighth  of  a  mile  in 
length.  Here  the  Glen  is  wider  than  at  any  other  point ;  the  rocky  walls 
tower  to  a  great  height — over  300  feet — and  arc  richly  tapestried  with  mosses 
and  clinging  vines,  and  crowned  with  lofty  pines  and  other  evergreen  trees. 
The  floor  is  composed  of  a  smooth  and  even  surface  of  rock;  the  vaulted  arch 
of  the  sky  forms  the  dome.  In  the  upper  end  the  Central  Cascade  forms  the 
Choir,  and,  as  it  dashes  from  rock  to  rock,  sings  continual  hymns  of  praise  to 
the  Infinite  Power  that  created  this  mighty  temple. 

Central  Cascade  has  a  beautiful  fall  of  about  60  feet,  and  while  far  above, 
projecting  through  the  trees,  is  seen 
Pulpit  Rock,  close  by  is  the  Glen  of  the 
Pools,  so  called  from  its  great  variety  and 
number  of  rock  basins.  Situated  near 
the  upper  end  of  the  Cathedral  is  a  large 
and  beautiful  pool,  called  the  Baptismal 
Font.  The  Grand  Staircase,  which  is 
close  by,  is  170  feet  high.  We  have  to 
ascend  this  before  we  can  reach  the 
"  Poet's  Dream,"  which  is  a  very  mag- 
nificent scene,  and  affords  new  phases  of 
magical  beauty  like  the  ever-varying 
changes  in  a  kaleidoscope. 

The  Triple  Cascade  is  considered  by 
many  to  be  the  finest  in  the  Glen.  As 
its  name  indicates,  it  is  composed  of 
three  portions,  one  above  another,  each 
different  in  form  from  the  others,  and 
forming  a  beautiful  combination.  Just 
below  the  Triple  Cascade,  on  the  south 
side,  a  little  brook  leaps  over  the  brow 
of  a  great  cliff  nearly  400  feet  high 
down  into  the  Glen,  The  water  does 
not  descend  in  a  smv  oth  sheet,  but  in  a  myriad  of  tiny  threads  and  drops, 
forming  a  sparkling  crystal  veil,  behind  which  our  course  leads.  This  novel 
cascade  is  known  as  Rainbow  Falls.    The  space  between  the  fall  and  the  cliff 


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THE   TRIPLE   CASCADE. 


Sfii 


I 


206    PICTURESQUE   SKETCHES  OF  AMERICAN   PROGRESS. 

is  narrow,  but  sufficiently  wide  to  allow  free  passage.  In  the  afternoon,  from 
June  to  September,  when  fair  weather  prevails,  the  rays  of  the  sun  fall  into 
the  gorge,  and  the  enraptured  visitor,  in  looking  through  the  veil,  beholds  two 

most  beautiful  rainbows,  a  primary  and 
secondary — a  sight  that,  once  enjoyed, 
can  never  be  forgotten. 

Glen  Arcadia  well  deserves  its  name, 
for  a  more  beautiful  scene  cannot  be 
imagined.  It  has  been  called  "  The 
Artist's  Dream,"  where  all  the  beauties 
of  the  other  glens,  silver  cascades,  and 
crystal  pools,  light  and  shadow,  sharp 
angles  and  graceful  curves,  foliage,  sky, 
and  rock,  mingle  and  produce  a  picture 
that  more  resembles  an  ecstatic  dream 
than  anything  that  can  elsewhere  be 
found.  Other  scenes  of  great  beauty  or 
interest  are  Pluto  Falls,  on  which  the 
sun  never  shines;  the  Arcadian  Fall, 
which  is  a  beautiful  cascade,  falling  into 
a  kind  of  natural  grotto,  and  at  its  foot 
is  a  beautiful  basin  ;  Elfin  Gorge,  which 
is  a  scene  of  wondrous  beauty;  Glen 
Facility,  at  which  point  the  most  im- 
portant of  the  great  natural  beauties  of 
the  Glen  terminate ;  but  many  visitors 
go  half  a  mile  beyond,  to  see  the  mag- 
nificent new  iron  bridge  of  the  Syracuse,  Geneva  &  Corning  Railway  Company, 
which  spans  the  Glen  at  a  height  of  165  feet  above  the  water.  In  our  de- 
scription we  have  passed  through  2)4  miles,  and  are  now  600  feet  above  our 
starting-point.  

"THE  RHINE  OF  AMERICA." 

The  Hudson  or  North  River  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  important 
streams  of  America.  It  rises  in  the  Adirondack  Mountains,  4,000  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  sea,  and  runs  south  from  the  vicinity  of  Lake  George  to  New 
York.  Above  Troy  it  is  broken  by  falls  and  rapids ;  from  this  point  to  the 
bay,  151  miles,  it  is  a  tidal  stream,  varying  from  a  third  of  a  mile  to  two  miles 
in  width,  and  navigable  for  steamboats  and  sailing  craft.  Much  of  the  scenery 
along  the  Hudson  is  magnificent.  Its  head-streams  are  the  outlets  of  many 
mountain  lakes  in  the  northeastern  portion  of  the  State.  At  Glens  Falls  it  has 
a  fall  of  50  feet,  and  soon  after,  taking  a  southerly  course,  runs  nearly  in  a 
straight  line  to  its  mouth.  At  Newburgh,  61  miles  from  New  York,  the  river 
enters  the  Highlands,  which  rise  abruptly  from  the  water  to  the  height  of 
1,200  to  1,600  feet.     Here  the  scenery  is  of  great  beauty  and  grandeur,  and  is 


RAINBOW    FALLS. 


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"THE   RHINE   OF  AMERICA." 


209 


admired  by  all  travellers.  Several  of  the  heights  are  crowned  with  the  ruins  of 
fortiHcations  built  to  prevent  the  passage  of  British  ships  in  the  War  for 
Independence.  Here  was  the  scene  of  Arnold's  treason  and  the  sad  fate  of 
Major  Andr^.  Emergini^  from  the  Highlands,  the  river  widens  into  a  broad 
expanse  called  the  Tappan  Zee.  Below,  on  the  west  bank,  on  the  New  Jersey 
shore,  rises  an  almost  straight  and  perpendicular  wall  of  trap-rock,  from  the 
river's  brink  to  a  height  of  300  to  500  feet,  called  the  Palisades,  extending 
15  miles  to  a  point  opposite  the  upper  portion  of  the  city  of  New  York.    The 


VIEW  OF  THE  TURK'S  FACE  ON  THE  HUDSON. 

river  is  here  from  one  to  two  miles  wide,  and  here  it  flows  into  New  York 
Bay.  Its  whole  length  is  nearly  300  miles,  and  its  principal  tributaries  are  the 
Hoosic,  Mohawk,  Walkill,  and  Croton.  The  steamboats  which  ply  on  the 
Hudson  are  among  the  finest  and  fastest  in  the  world.  Some  are  more  than 
400  feet  long,  are  fitted  up  with  great  luxury,  and  attain  a  speed  of  23  to  24 
miles  an  hour.  The  Hudson  River  Railway  runs  along  the  margin  of  the 
river  on  the  east  bank  to  Albany.  By  this  river,  and  the  Erie  Canal,  the  West 
Shore,  and  several  other  railways  New  York  is  connected  with  the  great  lakes 
and  the  West.  The  river  is  samed  from  the  English  navigator  who  dis- 
covered it,  in  1609. 


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OUR  NATIONAL  GOVERNMENT,   AND  HOW  IT  IS 

ADMINISTERED. 

GommtSHT  is  necessary  for  the  restraint  of  disorderly  persons  and  for  the  seenrity  of  Jnstloa 
It  is  the  manifestation  of  organized  social  power.  Its  primary  and  neoesaaij  fkmotiona  are  to  auift 
tain  the  peace  and  to  execute  Justice  between  different  members  of  society. 

Where  there  is  no  transgression  there  is  no  necessity  for  law.  Every  citizen  has  a  natural  right 
to  defend  his  life  and  property  from  injuiy.  The  collective  body  of  citizens  have  the  right  to  orgaa* 
lie  power  for  the  general  good — in  other  words,  to  create  a  Government,  which,  therefore,  jastly 
derives  its  powers  from  the  will  and  consent  of  the  governed— the  people. 

According  to  this  fhndamental  principle  the  people  of  the  United  States,  in  representative  coB' 
▼ention  assembled,  establisbed  a  National  Government  in  republican  form,  having  its  Ainctions  pre- 
scribed by  a  written  declaration  adopted  by  the  people  and  known  aa  the  ContUlutum  of  the  Unittd 
Statu. 

THE  G07ERNMENT. 

The  National  Government  is  composed  of  three  co-ordinate  departments— namely  t 

1.  Thx  Legiblativis,  or  that  which  makes  the  laws. 

2.  The  Executivk,  or  that  which  enforces  the  laws.  '  ■ 

3.  The  JuDiciATi,  or  that  which  interprets  the  laws  and  administers  justice. 

These  powers  are  lodged  in  different  hands.  The  body  which  makes  the  laws  has  nothing  te  do 
with  the  enforcement  of  them,  while  the  Judicial  department  is  independent  of  the  legislative  and 
executive  departments. 

LEGISLATIYE  DEPABTMENT. 

The  legislative  power  is  vested  in  a  Congress  of  representatives  of  the  people.  It  consi^M  of  a 
tttiate  and  ffotue  of  Btpresentatives.  The  members  ^f  the  former  are  chosen  by  the  several  Stat* 
Legislatures,  and  those  of  the  latter  are  chosen  directly  by  the  people  by  secret  ballots. 

Repbbsgntatitbs. — A  representative,  when  chosen,  must  be  twenty-five  years  of  age,  a  citizen  of 
the  United  States  six  years,  and  an  inhabitant  of  the  State  in  which  he  is  chosen. 

The  number  of  representatives  of  each  State  is  determined  by  the  population  of  the  State.  la 
order  to  keep  the  number  of  the  members  of  the  House  of  Bopresontatives  about  the  same  the  ratio  of 
representatives  is  changed  from  time  to  time.  For  example,  in  1792  the  apportionment  was  33.800 
inhabitants  to  every  representative ;  in  ISTO  the  number  was  138,000  inhabitant*  to  every  reprosentft- 
tive. 

When  a  vacancy  happens  in  the  representation  of  a  State  the  executive  authority  of  such  State 
issues  writs  of  election  to  fill  such  vacancy. 

The  representatives  choose  their  own  presiding  officer  (the  "Speaker")  and  others,  and  have i (be 
sole  power  of  impeachment. 

Senate.— A  Senator,  when  chosen,  must  be  thirty  years  of  age,  nine  years  a  citizen  at  the  United 
States,  and  an  inhabitant  of  the  State  for  which  he  is  chosen. 

Each  State  is  entitled  to  two  Senators,  without  regard  to  its  population.  They  are  chosen  f>r  a 
term  of  six  years.    Each  Senator  has  one  vote. 

The  Yioe-President  of  the  United  States  is  President  of  the  Senate,  but  has  ■•  vote  onlesa  thsy 
ke  equally  divided. 

The  Senate  has  the  sole  power  to  try  all  impeachments.    When  sitting  as  snch  bi|^  oevt  it  !■ 
the  duty  of  the  Chief  Justice  of  the  United  States  to  preeide,  and  no  persen  may  be  aaaTietet  ^ 
(he  eeaourreBoe  ef  two-tkirda  of  the  meabera  of  the  Senate  praeent 

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OUR    NATIONAL    OOVEBNMBNT 

Both  Hottmh.— The  two  Houses  of  Cengresa  aaettt  the  stine  tisu  ud  place,  la  sepente  oha» 

bers.  Banh  Ilouge  is  the  judge  of  the  elections,  returns,  and  qaalifioationa  of  its  own  memben.  a 
m^ority  in  each  House  oonstltates  aqoomm. 

Each  House  determines  its  own  rales  of  proceeding,  ma,j  punish  its  members,  aad,  with  the  con- 
aorreuoe  of  two-thirds  of  the  members  present,  may  expel  a  member. 

Neither  House  during  the  session  of  Congress  may,  without  the  consent  of  the  other,  a^eara  foi 
more  than  three  days,  nor  to  any  othor  place  than  that  in  which  the  two  Houses  may  be  sitting. 

Members  of  both  Houses  are  priTileged  from  arrest  (except  in  cases  of  treason,  felony,  er  breach 
of  peace)  during  their  attendance  at  the  sessions  of  their  respective  Houses,  or  going  to  or  returning 
from  ^be  same.  Nor  may  they  be  questioned  in  any  othor  place  for  any  speech  or  words  in  debate  in 
either  House. 

No  person  holding  office  under  the  United  States  may  be  a  member  of  either  Ir>:ue  during  his 
oontinuance  in  office. 

The  existence  of  each  Congress  Is  limited  to  two  years. 

POWERS  OF  CONGRESS. 

Congress  Is  Tested  with  sorereign  powers  to  levy  and  collect  taxes  and  provide  for  the  national  de- 
Ibnce ;  to  borrow  money ;  to  regulate  eommerco  witli  foreign  nations  and  among  the  several  States ; 
to  coiu  money ;  to  punish  counterfeiters ;  to  ostablish  post-routes  and  post-ofBcos ;  to  grant  patent* 
and  copyrights ;  to  declare  war,  carry  it  on  on  land  and  sea  (but  not  to  make  appropriations,  for  the 
purpose,  for  a  longer  time  than  for  two  years),  and  conclude  peace ;  to  create  and  maintain  a  navy ;  to 
call  forth  the  militia  of  the  several  States  in  certain  contingencies,  and  to  enact  all  laws  necessary  for 
the  execution  of  the  powers  granted  them.  But  Congress  may  not  suspend  the  privilege  of  the  writ 
of  kitbeiu  corpus  unless  where  the  public  safety  may  require  it ;  pass  a  bill  of  attainder  or  ex-pml- 
facto  law ;  lay  a  tax  or  duty  on  inter-State  ozchangos  of  commodities ;  give  commercial  proferenoo  to 
any  port ;  subject  vessels  bound  to  or  from  one  State  to  enter,  to  clear,  or  pay  duties  in  another  State; 
cause  money  to  be  drawn  from  the  public  treasury,  excepting  appropriations  made  by  law ;  grant  any 
title  of  nobility,  nor  allow  any  person  holding  any  office  of  profit  or  trust  under  the  United  States, 
without  the  consent  of  Congress,  to  accept  any  gift  from  any  foreign  power  while  holding  such  office. 

MODE  OF  PASSING  LAWS. 

All  bills  for  raising  revenue  must  originate  in  the  House  of  Representatives,  Every  bill  must 
have  the  concurrence  of  both  Houses,  and  then  be  presented  to  the  President  of  the  United  States. 
If  approved  by  him  he  signs  it  and  it  becomes  law ;  if  not  approved  he  returns  it  with  his  written  ob- 
jections. This  is  called  a  veto.  Then  it  may  be  reconsidered,  and,  if  passed  by  a  vote  of  two-thirds  of 
each  Honse,  it  becomes  a  law  without  the  signature  of  the  President. 

Every  order,  resolution,  ot  vote  to  which  the  concurrence  of  the  two  Houses  may  be  necessary 
(excepting  on  a  question  of  adjournment)  is  presented  to  the  President  of  the  United  States,  and 
may  take  the  course  of  a  bill. 

The  enumerated  powers  vested  in  Congress  are  denied  to  the  several  States  which  compose  the 
Bepublio. 

THE   STATES. 

The  several  States  of  the  Republic  are  tndqtendent  in  a  degree,  but  not  sovereign.  By  the  provi 
sions  of  the  National  Constitution  they  are  denied  the  exercise  of  the  functions  of  sovereiftn  power. 

Originally  there  were  thirteen  States  in  the  Union.  Since  then  the  process  of  forming  a  new 
Slate  is  by  erecting  a  prescribed  domain  of  the  Republic  into  a  Territory  and  organizing  a  Territorial 
government,  administered  by  a  chief  magistrate  and  other  officers  appointed  by  the  President  of  the 
United  States,  by  and  with  the  consent  of  the  Senate.  The  Territory  has  a  Legislature  to  enact  laws 
of  local  application,  but  Congress  may  reject  any  of  them.  The  inhabitants  elect  a  delegate  who  re- 
pre.-ionts  them  in  Congress,  tells  thot  body  what  the  Territory  needs,  but  has  no  vote.  The  people  of  a 
Territory  do  not  vote  for  President  of  the  United  States.  When  a  Territory  contains  a  specified  num- 
ber of  iahabitimts  a  convention  may  be  called,  a  State  Constitution  formed  and  adopted,  and  applica- 
tion be  made  to  Congress  for  the  admission  of  the  Territory  into  the  Union  as  an  independent  Stato 
The  application  may  be  rejected,  and  there  is  no  appeal  but  to  another  Congress.  If  permitted  to 
beeoflse  a  State  it  immediately  assumes  State  powers  and  takes  its  position  as  an  equal  of  the  ethei 
States  aocerding  to  its  ability. 


AND    HOW    IT   18    A  D  M  I  N  I  8  T  B  RE  D  . 

When  a  new  State  is  formed  or  erected  within  the  Jurisdiction  of  anj  other  State,  or  lormed  Vf 
the  junction  of  two  or  more  Stiites  or  parts  of  States,  the  consent  of  the  Legislatures  uf  titu  States  oaa- 
cemed  and  of  Cougross  must  first  bo  obtained. 

Congress  must  guarantee  to  every  State  in  the  Union  a  republican  form  of  government,  and  pro- 
tect all  from  invasion  when  required  by  the  proper  authorities  of  a  State  or  States  su  invaded. 

EXECUTIVE  DEPARTMENT. 

The  executive  power  of  the  Republic  is  vested  in  a  President  of  the  United  States,  whoso  term  of 
office  is  limited  to  four  years.  Ho  is  eligible  to  ri'-i'lection  indoflnitoly.  His  jtower  is  coordinate  but 
not  coequal  with  that  of  the  Legislative  Departmuut.  He  is  the  agont  to  exociito  the  will  of  Congress 
expressed  by  laws. 

Tho  mcliiod  of  choosing  a  President  and  Tico-Prcsidont  is  prescribed  in  the  Twelfth  Amendment 
to  tho  National  Constitution  (Jco  page  xx.  of  tho  Supplement). 

Tho  President  is  commander-in-chief  of  the  Army  and  Navy  of  the  United  States;  also  of  ♦'ho 
militia  of  the  several  States  wlion  called  into  the  actual  service  of  the  Republic. 

With  tho  ndvico  and  con..unt  of  tho  Sonato,  the  Prosident  makes  treaties  with  foreign  Po'v<!rs  and 
the  Indians  within  tho  Republic;  appoints  ambassadors  and  other  roprosontatives  of  tho  Oovoritmont 
in  fori'igu  lands,  also  judges  of  tho  Supremo  Court  and  all  other  officers  of  tho  National  Oovcrniuont 
who.so  appointment  is  not  otherwise  provided  for.  Ho  has  power  to  fill  ofllcial  vacancies  during  tho 
recess  of  tho  Souiite. 

It  is  the  duty  of  tho  President  to  couveno  Congress  when  extraordinary  occasions  may  rciqiiire  a 
soKKiuu  ;  to  give  to  Congress,  when  in  session,  from  time  to  time,  information  concerning  tho  state  of 
the  Republic,  and  to  recommend  monsiiros  for  thoir  consideration  ;  to  receive  nmbikssiidors  and  other 
public  ministers,  and  to  talfo  cnro  that  all  tho  laws  shall  bo  faithfully  executed. 

The  President  may  be  removed  from  office  on  impeachment  for  high  crimes  and  misdemeanors. 

JUDICIAL  DEPARTMENT. 

The  judicial  power  of  tho  United  States  is  vested  in  one  Supreme  Court,  sitting  at  tho  National 
Ciipital,  together  with  such  inferior  courts  as  Congress  may,  from  time  to  time,  establish  in  various 
prtit«  of  the  Union.  Tho  judges  of  tho  Supremo  Court  and  inferior  United  States  courts  hold  their  of- 
tiii'3  during  good  behavior. 

The  jurisdiction  of  the  National  Judiciary  extends  to  all  cases  of  law  and  equity  arising  under  the 
Constitution  of  the  United  States;  tho  laws  of  tho  United  States  and  treaties  mndo  under  thoir  autho- 
rity; all  laws  affecting  ambassadors,  other  ministers,  and  consuls  of  the  United  States;  controversies  in 
which  tho  United  States  may  bo  a  party;  controversies  between  two  or  more  States,  between  a  Slate 
and  citizens  of  another  State,  and  l)otwoen  citizens  of  different  States,  but  not  to  any  suit  in  law  or 
equity  oommonccd  or  prosecuted  against  one  of  tho  States  by  citizens  of  another  State  or  by  citieens 
or  subjects  of  any  foreign  State. 

The  Supreme  Court  has  original  jurisdiction  in  all  cases  affecting  ambassadors,  other  public  minis- 
ters, and  consuls,  and  those  in  which  a  State  may  be  a  party.  In  all  othe'  cases  it  has  appellate  juria- 
diction  both  as  to  law  and  fact. 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  THE  GOVERNMENT. 

The  President  administers  the  laws  through  the  advice  and  assistance  of  eight  cabinet  ministers, 
(The  arc  each  at  tho  head  of  a  separate  executive  department.  Five  of  these  ministers  are  denomi- 
nated "  Secretaries." 

BXECUTITE  DEPARTMENTS. 

The  Executive  Departments  are  known  respectively  as  of  the  State,  ot  Finance  or  the  Treasury,  of 
War,  of  tho  Navv,  of  tho  Interior,  of  the  Post-Office,  qf  Justice,  and  of  Agriculture. 

The  State  Department  is  in  charge  of  tho  Secretary  of  St«*e.  I»  has  two  branches— namely, 
tlio  Diplnmatic  and  tho  Consular.  It  has  a  Disbursing  Agont,  a  Translator,  Clerks  of  Apiwintmont  and 
Commissions,  of  tho  Rolls  and  Archives,  of  Territorial  Business,  and  of  Pardons  and  Passports ;  also  a 
Superintendent  o^  Statistics.    The  Diplomatic  branch  hm  charge  of  all  correspondence  botweem  the 

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OUR    i^ATIONAL    GOVERNMENT. 

Department  and  other  diplomatic  afents  of  the  United  States  abroad,  and  thofle  of  foreign  powers 
•ceredited  to  the  Qovemment.  The  Cmuular  branch  ban  charfi^  of  all  correspondence  between  the 
Department  and  the  consuls  and  commercial  agents  of  the  United  States. 

TiiK  Finance  or  Tbeardrt  Dkpautmrnt  is  in  charge  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Troasuiy,  who  has 
aa  assistants  a  First  and  Second  Comptroller  of  the  Treasury,  a  Commissioner  of  Customs,  six  Audi- 
tors, each  charged  with  distinct  functions,  a  Treasurer  a  Rogistor,  a  Solicitor,  and  a  Comptroller  of 
the  Treasury,  lie  has  under  his  direction  a  Light-Houso  Board,  a  Bureau  of  Construction,  the  United 
States  Coast  Surrey,  the  Internal  Revenue,  and  the  United  States  Mints.  He  has  the  general  super- 
vision of  the  flnancial  transactions  of  the  Government,  and  is  charged  with  the  execution  of  the  laws 
ooncoruing  commerce  and  navigation. 

Thk  War  Dbpartment  is  under  the  control  of  the  Secretary  of  War,  who  is  charged  with  all 
trasinoss  pertaining  vo  the  Army  and  the  supervision  of  all  fortifications,  arsenals,  and  stores,  also  of 
tho  Weather  Signal  Service.  Ho  has  under  his  control  the  offices  of  the  Commanding  General  of  the 
Army,  the  Adjutant-General,  the  Quartormastdr  General,  tho  Paymaster-General,  the  Commifsarj'- 
General,  tho  Surgeon  General,  tho  Engineer's  Office,  the  Topographical  Office,  the  Ordnance  Office,  and 
the  Office  of  Refiigoes  and  Frcedmen ;  also  the  Military  Academy  at  West  Point.  These  titles  indicate 
the  functions  of  tho  respective  bureaus. 

TnK  Navy  Department  is  under  tho  control  of  tho  Secretary  of  tho  Navy,  who  is  charged  with 
all  business  pertaining  to  that  branch  of  tho  sorrioo.  That  business  is  conducted  through  the  aid  of 
eight  bureaus — namely,  of  Yards  and  Docks,  of  Navigation,  of  Ordnance,  of  Constniction  and  Repairs, 
of  Equipment  and  Recruiting,  of  Provisions  and  Clothing,  of  Steam-Enginccring,  and  of  Medicine  and 
Surgery.  These  several  titles  indicate  tho  functions  of  tlie  respective  bureaus.  Tho  Secretary  of  the 
Navy  has  control  of  the  Marine  Corps,  a  military  organization  attached  to  tho  Navy. 

Thk  Interior  Drparthbnt  is  in  charge  of  tho  Secretary  of  the  Interior,  who  has  tho  caro  and 
management  of  tho  Public  Lands,  of  PenRions,  of  the  Indians,  of  the  Patent  Office,  of  tho  Department 
of  Agriculture,  and  the  Bureau  of  Education 

The  Post-Offick  Department  is  in  charge  of  the  Postmaster-General.  The  business  of  this  De- 
partment is  distributed  among  several  bureaus,  as  follows:  tiio  Ap|)ointment  Office,  in  charge  of  the 
First  Assiittant  Postmaster-General;  the  Contract  Office,  including  the  Inspection  Division,  in  charge 
of  the  Second  Assistant  Postmaster-General ;  the  Finance  Office,  in  charge  of  tho  Third  Assistant 
Postmaster-General,  who  has  also  charge  of  tho  Dead  Letter  Office ;  and  tho  Money  Order  Office,  in 
charge  of  tho  Superintendent. 

The  Department  of  Jtt8TICB  is  in  charge  of  tho  Attorney-General  of  the  United  States.  Its 
ordinary  duties  may  be  classified  as  follows : 

1.  Official  opinions  on  tho  current  business  of  the  Government. 

2.  Examinations  of  the  titles  of  land  purchaser,  for  sites  of  public  works. 

3.  Applications  for  pardons  in  all  cases  of  conviction  in  the  courts  of  the  Unit.ed  States. 

4.  Applications  for  appointment  in  all  the  judicial  and  logol  departments  of  tho  Government. 

5.  The  conduct  and  argumiwit  of  all  suits  in  tho  Supreme  Court  of  the  Unitod  States  in  which  the 

Oovemmont  is  concerned. 
ft.  The  supervision  of  all  other  snits  arisiBg  in  any  of  tho  Departments,  when  rofcrrod  to  tho  At- 

t»i»cy-GoficraL 
Thb  Dki'aktmbnt  of  AoRictri.TORB  is  in  charge  of  the  Secretary  of  Agricaltare,  who,  in  addilinn  to 
executive  functioiis,  perforins  the  diiticB  which  devolved  upon  the  CommisBioDcr  of  Agriculture  when  this 
branch  was  subordinate  to  the  Interior  Depart nici't. 


OUR  COUNTRY'S  ACHIEVEMENTS. 

'HE  earliest  settlement  that  remained  permanent  in  the 
United  States  was  at  Jamestown,  Virginia.     Sir  Walter 
Raleigh,  who   was   at   one   time    a    great    favorite    of 
Elizabeth,   the    Queen  of    England,    was    very    much 
interested   in   making    a    settlement    in   America,   and 
expended  a  vast  amount  of  money  to  forward  his  plans. 
But  his  colonies  always  failed  for  some  cause  or  another. 
Sometimes     the    colonists    would    return    in    disgust    at    the 
hardships    which    they    had    to    endure.       One    colony     was 
murdered   by  the   Indians,  and   when  help   came  nothing  but 
ruins  could  be  found,  and  one  colony  was  lost,  and  its  fate  is 
unknown  to  this  day.    At  last,  in  iCo6,  a  grant  was  given  by 
the    king    to   a    company    who   could    colonize    any  part    of 
America  claimed  by  the  English  and  trade  with  the  natives. 
Under  this  grant,  a  company  of  one  hundred  and  five  men  set 
out  for  Virginia  in  three   vessels.      One-half   of   this    number 
were  gentlemen  of  broken  fortunes,  some  were  trades-people, 
and  some  were  footmen.     There  was  not  a  farmer  or  mechanic  among  them. 
There  was  one  man  in  this  band  who  was  a  born   hero   and   leader, — John 
Smith.     They  came  to   the  James   river  and   laid  the  foundation  of  a  set. 
tlement,   which  they  named  Jamestown,  in  honor  of  the  king.     Here  were 
planted  the  seeds  of  the   first    settlement    that   took   root    and    flourished. 
The  colonists,  unaccustomed   to    toil,    worked    manfully   and    erected   their 
homes    in  the  wilderness,   and    planted    their  wheat.      When   the  summer 
came,  the  supply  of  food  was  low,   and  many    of  the   settlers    died    from 
the  heat   and    hardships ;    but    winter    brought    them    better    climate  and 
abundant  supplies  of  game  and  fish,  with  a  good  harvest  of  wheat.     Smith 
set  out  to  explore  the  country,  was  captured  by  the  Indians;    and   after 
puzzling  them  for  a  time  with  the  mysteries  of  the  pocket  compass  and  the 
art  of  writing,  was  rescued  from  death  by  Pocahontas,  the  young  daughter  of 
the  Indian  chief,  Powhatan,  who  had  decided  to  kill  him.      When  Smith 
returned  from  his  captivity  with  the  savages,  he  found  his  colony  on  the  very 
point  of  breaking  up.     Only  thirty-eight  were  living,  and  these  were  making 
preparations  to  leave.    But  the  return  of  their  leader  inspired  them  with  new 
hope,   and   they   resumed   their    work.      New    colonists  joined   them  from 
England,  but  they  were  of  a  class  known  as  "  vagabond  gentlemen,  who  had 
packed  off  to  escape  worse  destinies  at  home."    The  reputation  of  the  colony 
was  so  bad,  that  we  are  told  that  some,  rather  than  come  to  Virginia, 
"  chose  to  he  hung,  and  were."    These  were  the  undesirable  subjects  whom 
Smith  was  obliged  to  rule  with  an  authority  that  none  dared  to  question. 
But  unfortunately  for  the  colony,  Smith  was  obliged  to  return  to  England  to 
procure  surgical  treatment  for  an  injury  caused  by  an  accidental  discharge  of 
gunpowder.     In  six  months  the  colony  was  again  reduced  to  sixty  men,  and 


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1733]        THE  AGE  OF  DISCOVERY  AND  SETTLEMENT. 


217 


were  making  ready  to  depart,  when  Lord  Baltimore,  their  new  governor, 
rame  and  prevented  them.  Once  more  the  settlement  was  saved  on  the  very 
verge  of  dissolution. 

Years  of  quiet  growth  followed,  and  a  better  class  of  emigrants  came. 
There  was  a  great  demand  for  tobacco, — a  new  plant  unknown  to  Europe 
until  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  introduced  it  into  England ; — and  the  colonists 
found  it  growing  in  Virginia,  and  learned  its  cultivation  from  the  natives.  It 
was  in  extensive  use  among  the  Indians,  and  regarded  as  a  medicine.  The 
use  of  this  plant  spread  in  England  very  rapidly,  and  created  a  demand  for 
its  supply,  and  the  Virginians  found  it  a  most  profitable  crop  to  cultivate. 

In  the  absence  of  money,  tobacco  became  a  medium  of  exchange  among 
the  colonists.  Salaries  of  officers  and  ministers,  fines  in  churches  and  State 
were  paid  with  it.  In  a  few  years  after  the  first  settlement  there  was  a 
written  Constitution.  They  had  a  House  of  Parliament  chosen  by  the  people, 
and  a  governor  sent  out  from  England.  The  Episcopal  church  was 
recognized  as  the  State  church,  and  the  colony  was  divided  into  parishes.  A 
college  was  founded,  and  the  Indians  were  friendly.  The  first  white  child 
born  in  America  was  here  baptized  by  the  name  of  Virginia  Dare. 
Pocahontas  went  to  England  with  her  husband,  a  young  colonist  by  the  name 
of  John  Rolfe,  where  she  was  kindly  received  by  the  queen,  and  made  the 
recipient  of  many  favors;  but  she  died  at  Gravesend,  March,  1617,  just  as  she 
was  about  to  return  to  America  with  her  husband.  She  left  an  infant  son, 
from  whom  some  of  the  noblest  families  of  Virginia  descended. 


THE  SETTLEMENT  OF  NEW  ENGLAND. 


LITTLE  more  than  two  centuries  ago,  the  part  of  the 

United  States  we  call  New  England,  was  one  vast  forest, 

with  here  and  there  a  little  clearing  where  a  few  Indian 

families  made  their  temporary  home,  and  raised  their 

scanty  supply  of  corn.     But  it  was  destined  to  become 

^the  abode  of   hardy  and  devout  people,  who  by  their 

Jindustry  and  frugality  were  to  lay  the  basis  of  a  mighty 

nation  upon  the  broad   foundation-stones  of   civil  and 

religious  liberty. 

A  noble  band  of  men  who  were  denied  the  liberty  of  worship 
which  they  desired  in  their  own  land,  resolved  to  escape  from 
England  to  Holland  to  find  the  freedom  denied  by  their  own 
countrymen.  Mr.  Robinson,  a  wise  and  good  man,  had  been  their 
minister,  and  after  straggling  bands  of  Pilgrims,  as  they  were 
called,  reached  Holland,  their  pastor  joined  them.  They  remained 
here  eleven  years  receiving  additions,  from  time  to  time,  from  those  who  were 
anxious  to  be  free  from  religious  oppression.   Then  it  was  decided  to  establish 


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318 


THE  AGE  OF  DISCOVERY  AND  SETTLEMENT.       [1620 


a  new  State  in  America  where  they  could  be  free  to  worship  God,  and  not  fear 
any  alliances  with  the  nations  around  them. 

Enough  money  was  raised  among  them  to  equip  and  send  one  hundred 
of  their  number  to  the  new  world.  A  ship  called  the  Mayflower  was  chartered 
to  take  them  across  the  stormy  Atlantic.  On  a  morning  in  July  this  vanguard 
of  freedom  knelt  on  the  sea-shore  at  Delftshaven  to  listen  to  the  prayers  of 
their  pastor,  and  receive  his  parting  blessing.  The  vessel  was  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty  tons  burden,  an  old  hulk  which  would  not  now  be  considered  safe 
for  a  coast-wise  trip  in  fair  weather. 

After  repeated  delays,  the  expedition  set  sail  in  the  early  part  of  Sep- 
tember, 1620,  and  after  a  long  and  stormy  voyage,  dropped  her  anchor  in  the 
waters  of  Cape  Cod  Bay  on  the  i  ith  of  November  of  the  same  year.  It  was 
a  cold  and  barren  coast  which  met  their  view,  with  low  sand  hills  devoid  of 
any  vegetation  except  long  grass  and  low  dwarf  trees. 

The  Pilgrims  hesitated  so  long  about  the  place  to  begin  a  settlement,  that 
the  captain  threatened  to  put  them  all  on  shore  and  leave  them.  They  went 
out  to  explore,  and  finally  chose  a  spot  where  they  decided  to  found  their 
colony.  They  landed  on  the  22nd  of  December  upon  Plymouth  rock,  and 
began  the  Colony  which  they  called  by  the  name  of  the  city  in  England 
which  they  had  left.  Here  they  were  in  an  unknown  wilderness,  the  winter 
upon  them  with  scant  supplies  and  no  shelter.  But  they  worked  manfully  to 
build  their  little  town,  sadly  hindered  by  the  severe  cold  and  the  death  of 
their  comrades,  who  fell  around  them.  They  erected  nineteen  houses,  sur- 
rounded them  with  a  palisade,  and  then  on  the  hill  they  erected  a  building 
which  served  the  double  purpose  of  a  fort  and  a  church.  The  severe  winter 
passed,  and  when  the  spring  came  their  numbers  had  been  sadly  reduced  by 
death ;  but  now  the  health  and  spirits  of  the  survivors  began  to  improve. 

The  little  band  had  signed  a  civil  compact  in  the  cabin  of  the  Mayflower 
before  they  landed,  in  which  they  formed  themselves  into  a  government,  and 
chose  John  Carver  as  their  governor.  They  acknowledged  King  James  as 
their  sovereign,  but  were  emphatically  a  self  governing  commonwealth. 

They  had  known  enough  of  the  despotism  of  Kings,  and  were  quite  sure 
that  democracy  could  not  be  any  worse,  and  they  had  faith  to  try  the 
experiment. 

From  this  small  beginning  came  the  establishment  of  self-government 
over  all  the  country. 

For  some  years,  the  difficulties  which  beset  the  infant  colonists  were  well 
nigh  insurmountable,  but  their  faith  failed  not,  and  after  a  time  prosperity 
came  to  theni. 

Each  summer  new  additions  were  made  to  their  number,  of  men  and 
women  who  had  caught  the  spirit  of  religious  freedom,  and  sought  to  find 
here  an  asylum  from  the  tyrannies  to  which  they  were  subject  in  their  old 
homes.  Thus  New  England  became  the  place  of  refuge  to  many  of  the 
wearied  victims  of  persecution,  and  seemed  a  paradise  to  those  who  were 


'  1    .MM 


1733]        THE  AGE  OF  DISCOVERY  AND  SETTLEMENT. 


219 


jovernment 


denied  the  right  to  worship  God  according  to  the  dictates  of   conscience. 
Whole  congregations  with  their  pastors  came  to  swell  the  number. 

The  men  were  stout  of  heart  and  patient  in  toil,  and  their  industry  and 
labor  brought  them  comfort.  They  were  simple  in  manners  and  plain  in 
dress ;  their  wants  were  few  and  these  were  supplied  by  the  harvests  of  the 
autumn,  by  their  success  in  hunting  and  fishing  and  by  the  flocks  they  raised. 
The  women  carded,  spun  and  wove  the  wool.  The  men  felled  the  forests  and 
built  houses  and  vessels,  erected  cities  and  formed  new  towns  in  the  woods. 
The  ships  they  built  crossed  the  ocean  and  carried  their  freights  of  timber, 
fish  and  furs.  Commerce  sprung  up  and  prosperity  smiled  upon  the  settlers. 
They  early  made  friends  with  the  Indians,  and  one  of  the  most  pleasant 
episodes  in  the  early  days  of  the  Colony  was  the  visit  and  friendly  aid  of 
Massasoit,  a  chief  who  lived  at  Sowansee,  now  Warren,  Rhode  Island. 

He  came  with  his  brother  and  sixty  warriors  to  the  little  settlement  in 
March,  162 1,  the  spring  which  followed  the  first  severe  winter  in  the  new 
world.  He  made  a  league  of  friendship  with  the  English,  and  for  forty  years 
was  their  staunch  friend  and  protector,  never  failing  them  in  all  their  dangers 
and  hardships.  His  influence  saved  the  little  band  from  destruction  by  the 
Narragansets.  Two  years  after  his  visit  the  old  chief  was  taken  very  sick, 
and  would  have  died  if  the  governor  had  not  sent  him  Mr.  Winslovv  who  used 
simple  remedies  which  effected  a  cure ;  and  in  his  great  joy  and  gratitude  he 
said,  "  Now  I  see  that  the  English  are  my  friends  and  love  me,  and  while  I 
live  I  will  never  forget  the  kindness  they  have  shown  me." 

The  kindness  of  this  Indian  was  of  great  value  to  the  Colony  as  long  as 
he  lived,  and  he  was  highly  respected  by  them. 

The  Colonists  of  New  England  paid  great  attention  to  the  subject  of 
education,  believing  that  it  was  of  vital  importance  to  the  preservation  of  the 
State  and  Church.  In  a  few  years  schools  began  to  appear,  and  a  law  was 
passed  that  every  town  of  fifty  freeholders  should  maintain  a  common  school, 
and  every  town  of  one  hundred,  must  sustain  a  grammar  school.  Some 
tolerably  qualified  brother  was  chosen  and  "  entreated  to  become  school- 
master. "  Harvard  College  was  established  within  fifteen  years  after  the 
Pilgrim  fathers  landed  at  Plymouth. 

Twenty-three  years  after  the  landing,  there  were  twenty-four  thousand 
white  people  in  New  England.  Forty-nine  wooden  towns,  and  four  Colonics 
namely,  Plymouth,  Massachusetts,  Connecticut  and  New  Haven.  There 
seemed  at  first  a  desire  to  scatter  widely,  push  out  into  the  wilderness,  form 
new  settlements  and  set  up  self-government,  each  for  itself.  But  this 
separation  could  not  long  exist  for  there  were  other  human  beings  in  the 
wilderness  beside  the  white  settlers,  and  these  had  a  prior  claim  there. 
Within  calling  distance  there  were  Indians  enough  when  aroused  and  com- 
bined to  drive  out  all  the  colonists.  And  beyond  the  frontiers  were  French 
and  Dutch  settlements.  So  it  came  to  pass  that  the  four  Colonies  were  forced 
to  form  themselves  for  mutual  protection  and  encouragement,  into  a  band 
called  "  The  United  Colonies  of  New  England."    This  was  the  first  confed- 


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220  THE  AGE  OF  DISCOVERY  AND  SETTLEMENT.       [1620 

cration  in  a  land  which  was  destined  afterwards  to  establish  this  form  of 
government  on  a  scale  the  world  had  never  seen  before.  Nor  was  this  done 
any  too  soon,  for  there  were  troublous  times  to  come,  and  these  earnest  God- 
fearing men  found  that  they  would  need  all  the  strength  which  a  united 
assistance  and  a  common  bond  would  bring. 

Massasoit  was  dead,  and  all  the  efforts  of  the  English  to  Christianize  and 
civilize  the  natives  had  produced  but  little  effect. 


THE  INDIAN  WAR. 


A&* 


'HE  great  Indian  Apostle,  Rev.  John  Eliot,  was  the 
pastor  of  the  church  at  Roxbury.  He  was  moved  by 
pity  to  carry  the  Gospel  to  the  tribes  around  him,  and 
for  this  purpose  learned  their  language,  and  translated 
the  Bible  by  means  of  an  alphabet  of  his  own. 

He  preached  to  them  in  their  own  tongue,  and 
many  became  converts.  He  even  attempted  to 
establish  a  college  for  the  Indian  youth,  but  was  obliged  to 
abandon  this  undertaking  on  account  of  their  natural  love  of 
idleness  and  strong  drink.  They  would  not  work.  They  could 
indeed  be  taught  to  rest  on  the  Sabbath,  but  they  would  not 
labor  on  the  other  six  days.  This  was  a  great  cause  of 
hindrance,  but  in  spite  of  the  general  discouragement,  there 
were  many  noble  exceptions,  and  the  hold  which  Christianity 
took  upon  those  who  accepted  it  was  never  wholly  lost.  In 
the  Indian  wars  which  arose,  the  converts  were  never  found 
fighting  against  the  English,  but  usually  united  in  aiding  them. 
At  length  came  the  short  but  bitter  war  with  King  Philip,  the  younger  son  of 
the  old  chief,  Massasoit,  the  friend  of  the  colonies.  Even  his  enemies  wil! 
acknowledge  that  this  savage  chief  was  a  hero.  The  noble  old  chief  who  had 
been  faithful  to  his  early  friendship  with  the  English,  had  two  sons,  whom 
governor  Winslow  had  named  Alexander  and  Philip.  Alexander  had 
succeeded  his  father,  but  had  died,  and  Philip  had  become  chief.  He  was 
noble-hearted,  patriotic,  and  filled  with  good  sense.  He  was  a  statesman  as 
well  as  a  warrior,  and  at  first  was  friendly  to  the  settlers.  But  he  saw  that  the 
whites  were  crowding  year  by  year  upon  his  domain  ;  still  he  kept  the  treaties 
which  his  father  had  made,  and  even  submitted  to  grave  insults  from  the 
white  men.  There  came  a  time  when  he  could  endure  this  no  longer, 
and  he  arose  in  war  against  them.  The  war  spread  throughout  New 
England,  and  the  colonies  of  Plymouth  and  Massachusetts  united  to  meet 
them.  In  a  week  the  Indian  chief  was  driven  out  of  his  beautiful 
home  on  Mount  Hope,  Rhode  Island,  and  went  a  fugitive  to  other 
tribes,  arousing  them  to  vengeance.  The  Whites  thought  the  war  was 
over,  but  it  had  just  begun.  The  ^^owerful  tribes  of  the  Narragansets 
joined  in  the  war.    The  Indians  avoided  the  white  troops,  and  carried  on  the 


istianize  and 


1733] 


THE  AGE  OF  DISCOVERY  AND  SETTLEMENT. 


221 


warfare,  after  their  savage  fashion,  by  plundering  towns  and  villages,  and 
killing  defenceless  women  and  children.  Whole  villages  were  wiped  out,  and 
no  one  could  feel  safe.  The  fields,  the  homes,  the  churches,  the  very  beds  of 
the  poor  colonists  were  liable  to  be  attacked  without  warning,  and  a  general 
massacre  of  all  would  follow.  Out  of  one  hundred  towns  twelve  were  entirely 
destroyed,  and  more  than  forty  others  were  more  or  less  plundered.  Josiah 
Winslow,  with  a  brave  band  of  settlers,  captured  the  principal  fort  of  the 
Narragansets,  which  stood  where  South  Kingston,  Rhode  Island,  now  is,  and 
destroyed  it.  Their  chief,  Canonchet,  was  soon  afterwards  taken,  and  offered 
his  life  if  he  would  submit ;  but  he  proudly  refused.  When  he  was 
condemned  to  death,  he  said,  "I  like  it  well;  I  shall- die  before  I  speak 
anything  unworthy  of  myself," 

The  close  of  1675  brought  an  end  to  the  war.  King  Philip  saw  that  he 
could  not  prevent  the  other  tribes  from  making  peace,  and  the  most  of  his 
own  warriors  had  fallen.  When  he  heard  that  his  wife  and  child  had  been 
taken  by  the  English,  he  exclaimed  in  his  anguish,  "  My  heart  breaks ;  now  I 
am  ready  to  die." 

He  was  shot  in  the  swamp  by  a  traitor  Indian,  and  his  body  given  to 
Church,  the  captain  of  a  party  who  were  pursuing  them.  According  to 
custom,  the  head  of  Philip  was  severed  from  his  body,  and  carried  on  a  pole 
to  Plymouth,  where  it  was  set  up  in  sight  of  the  people  for  a  number  of  days. 
The  body  was  quartered  and  hung  on  trees.  In  this  way  did  our  enlightened 
ancestors  retaliate  upon  the  '^ndian  warrior  and  statesman,  who  labored  and 
fought  for  the  rights  of  his  tt  je.  There  were  now  scarcely  one  hundred  of 
the  Narragansets  left,  and  their  last  Sachem,  the  sole  survivor  of  the 
famijy  of  Massasoit,  was  carried  to  Bermuda  and  sold  into  slavery. 

Annawon  was  the  next  in  command  over  the  Indian  forces  after  the 
escape  of  Philip,  and  the  same  captain,  Benjamin  Church,  who  had  taken  the 
head  of  the  king  to  Plymouth,  was  sent  to  capture  him.  Church  became 
separated  from  his  company,  and  had  only  one  white  man  and  five  friendly 
Indians  when  he  heard  where  Annawon  and  his  band  of  fifty  warriors  were 
encamped.  These  men  succeeded  in  surprising  the  chief,  and  taking  him  a 
captive  to  Boston,  where  he  was  put  to  death  by  the  English,  after  he  had 
surrendered  all  the  ro;"al  emblems  of  Philip.  The  whites  had  no  excuse  for 
this  act  of  wanton  cruelty. 


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222  THE  AGE  OF  DISCOVERY  AND  SETTLEMENT.       [1609 


SETTLEMENT  OF  NEW  YORK. 


ENDRICK  HUDSON,  an  explorer  in  the  employ  of 
the  Dutch,  had  discovered  and  sailed  up  the  river  which 
bears  his  name,  in  the  year  1609.  Three  or  four 
years  after  the  Pilgrims  had  landed  at  Plymouth,  the 
Dutch  West  India  Company  resolved  to  establish  a 
trading  post  with  the  Indians.  They  sent  out  a 
settlement  in  1623,  which  located  on  Manhattan  island 
at  the  north  of  the  Hudson,  and  built  a  town  which  they 
called  New  Amsterdam.  They  grew  rich  and  numerous,  until 
a  war  broke  out  with  the  Indians,  who  drove  the  settlers  to  the 
southern  extremity  of  the  island,  and  they  built  a  wall  across 
the  island  where  Wall  Street  is  now  situated.  The  war  came 
to  an  end,  and  for  twenty  years  after  there  was  a  time  of  peace 
and  prosperity  under  the  government  of  a  wise  and  sagacious 
man,  Peter  Stuyvcsant.  While  his  government  was  not 
faultless,  the  city  flourished  under  it,  and  a  continued  flow  of 
emigration  came  in  from  Europe.  In  the  year  1664,  when  Peter  was  away 
from  home,  an  English  fleet  appeared  in  the  harbor  to  demand  the  territory 
in  the  name  of  their  sovereign.  Charles  II.  had  given  his  brother  James  of 
York,  a  large  tract  of  country,  embracing  the  land  on  which  the  Dutch  city 
stood. 

Peter  at  first  was  willing  to  fight  them  single-handed  ;  but  the  English 
settlers  would  not  fight  against  their  king,  and  the  Dutch,  who  remembered 
some  of  the  petty  tyrannies  of  Peter  would  not  join  him.  At  length  he  yielded 
to  the  entreaties  of  two  ministers  and  many  of  the  people,  and  the  city  of 
fifteen  hundred  inhabitants  quietly  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  English, 
and  its  name  was  changed  to  New  York.  With  this  city  the  Dutch  also 
gave  up  their  settlements  in  New  Jersey,  which  they  had  taken  from  the 
Swedes,  and  so  the  English  had  the  Atlantic  coast  from  Massachusetts  Bay 
to  Georgia. 


1733]        THE  AGE  OF  DISCOVERY  AND  SETTLEMENT.  223 


THE  LAND  OF  PENN. 


ILLIAM  PENN,  the  son  of  an  English  admiral,  who 
had  won  many  noted  victories  for  the  Crown,  became 
a  Quaker,  to  the  dismay  of  his  friends,  just  at  the  time 
a  brilliant  future  spread  out  before  him.  At  first  the 
father  was  furious  and  turned  his  son  out  of  doors, 
hoping  that  hunger  would  soon  cause  him  to  recant ; 
but  the  admiral  relented  and  restored  him  to  favor. 
When  his  father  died,  soon  after  the  reconciliation,  young  Penn 
mherited  his  possessions,  and  among  the  rest  a  claim  for  $8o,cxx) 
due  the  admiral  from  the  king.  Penn,  who  had  formed  in  his  mind  a 
design  to  establish  a  settlement  in  America  for  the  persecuted 
members  of  his  own  sect,  offered  to  take  payment  of  the  king  in 
land  ;  and  Charles  was  ready  enough  to  bestow  upon  his  subject  a 
vast  region  stretching  westward  from  the  Delaware  River.  Penn 
then  came  to  America  with  the  noble  purpose  of  founding  a 
free  and  self  governing  State,  where,  as  he  said,  he  could  show  men 
as  free  and  "  as  happy  as  they  can  be."  He  proclaimed  to  the  men  who  were 
already  settled  within  his  territory,  "  Whatever  sober  and  free  men  can 
reasonably  desire,  I  will  comply  with."  He  was  true  to  his  word  ;  and  when 
they  sp»'t  representatives  his  people  met  them  and  a  Constitution  was  framed. 
Penn  confirmed  this  arrangement.  He  also  dealt  honorably  and  kindly  with 
the  Indians,  and  bought  their  lands  of  them,  and  in  return  they  respected  and 
loved  him.  The  conference  with  the  natives  was  held  under  a  large  elm 
which  stood  in  the  forest  where  Philadelphia  now  is,  and  a  monument  marks 
the  spot.  All  was  to  be  "  openness  and  love,"  and  "  no  advantage  was  to  be 
taken  on  either  side."  For  long  years  the  Indians  recounted  the  words  of 
Penn,  and  the  blood  of  a  Quaker  was  never  shed  by  an  Indian  on  the  soil  of 
Pennsylvania. 

The  fame  of  Penn's  new  State  went  abroad  to  all  lands,  and  it  grew  very 
rapidly  with  grave  and  God-fearing  men,  who  came  from  all  parts  of  Europe. 
During  the  first  year,  two  thousand  persons  arrived,  and  Philadelphia  became 
a  ..own  of  six  hundred  houses.  A  few  years  later  Penn  returned  to  England, 
and  reported  that  "  things  went  on  sweetly  with  the  Fnends  in  Pennsylvania: 
that  they  increased  finely,  in  outward  things  and  in  wisdom." 
The  settlement  of  Pennsylvania  was  founded  in  1682. 


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324 


THE  AGE  OF  DISCOVERY  AND  SETTLEMENT.        [1620 


:11'  .;; 


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SETTLEMENTS  IN  THE  OTHER  COLONIES. 

)HE  thirteen  original  States  were  Virginia,  Massachu- 
setts, Connecticut,  Rhode  Island,  New  Hampshire, 
Delaware,  Maryland,  Pennsylvania,  New  York,  North 
Carolina,  South  Carolina,  and  Georgia. 

Connecticut  was  settled  by  men  and  women  from 
Massachusetts,  in  two  colonies.     One  came  through  the 
wilderness  and  settled  in  Windsor  above  Hartford  ;  the 
other  came  by  water  and  settled  in  New  Haven. 

Rhode  Island  was  settled  by  Roger  Williams,  a  minister 
of  Salem,  who  declared  that  the  State  had  to  do  with  the 
"  bodies  and  goods  and  outward  estates "  of  men.  In  the 
domain  of  conscience  God  alone  was  the  ruler.  He  was 
banished  and  went  to  Rhode  Island,  where  he  obtained  a  grant 
of  land  from  the  Indians  and  laid  the  foundation  of  a  new 
State.  He  founded  the  city  of  Providence  and  proclaimed 
that  his  settlement  was  to  become  a  "  shelter  for  persons 
distressed  for  conscience  sake."  And  so  has  it  ever  been. 
New  Hampshire  was  settled  by  colonists  from  Massachusetts,  of  which  it 
was  a  part  from  1 641  to  1679. 

Delaware  was  named  in  honor  of  Lord  Delaware,  who  came  to  Virginia 
to  aid  the  colony  at  Jamestown,  in  161 1.  It  was  first  settled  by  the  Swedes, 
in  the  year  1627,  and  passed,  as  we  have  seen,  into  the  hands  of  the  Dutch 
and  then  to  the  English.  Penn  annexed  it  to  his  new  State.  In  the  year 
1703,  it  was  returned  to  its  former  condition  as  a  separate  colony. 

Maryland  was  first  settled  in  1 631,  by  a  band  of  adventurers  from 
Virginia,  under  one  Captain  Clayborne,  and  received  a  charter  from  the  king 
making  it  a  distinct  province,  named  after  the  queen,  his  wife. 

New  Jersey  was  first  settled  by  the  Dutch  in  161 2,  and  then  by  the 
Swedes  and  Danes.  It  afterwards  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  English  when 
they  took  possession  of  New  York  in  1664. 

North  Carolina  was  permanently  settled  under  a  grant  from  King  Charles 
II.,  in  1663.  John  Locke,  the  celebrated  Scotch  metaphysician,  wrote  a 
code  of  laws  which  were  in  force  in  this  colony  for  twenty-five  years. 

South  Carolina  received  its  first  well-defined  settlement  in  1663,  under  a 
charter  from  Charles  II.,  when  a  number  of  English  noblemen  built  a  city  at 
Port  Royal,  and  established  themselves  in  a  government.  The  city  of 
Charleston,  named  in  honor  of  the  king,  was  founded  in  1680,  and  thereafter 
the  growth  of  the  colony  was  very  rapid. 

Georgia  was  the  latest  of  the  colonies,  and  the  farthest  south  of  any  of 
the  English  possessions  in  America  during  the  time  of  colonial  history.  It 
was  settled  in  1733,  when  General  Oglethorpe  founded  the  city  of  Savannah. 
He  obtained  a  charter  from  Charles  II.  of  all  the  land  between  the  Savannah 
^iver  and  the  Altamaha,  extending  westward  to  the  Pacific  Ocean.    It  was 


1733] 


THE  AGE  OF  DISCOVERY  AND  SETTLEMENT. 


225 


designed  to  be  a  refuge  for  the  deserving  poor  and  for  Protestants  suffering 
persecution.  Parliament  voted  $50,000  to  aid  in  carrying  forward  this  noble 
enterprise.  One  hundred  and  twenty  persons  came  in  the  first  expedition 
under  the  leadership  of  General  Oglethorpe,  and  were  kindly  received  by  the 
Indians.  The  next  year  a  hundred  Germans  came  and  were  assigned  a  place, 
which  they  in  gratitude  named,  Ebenezer.  They  were  steady  and  industrious 
and  eagerly  applied  themselves  to  the  raising  of  silk  and  indigo.  The  fame 
of  the  colony  spread  through  Europe  and  attracted  large  numbers.  Thus 
was  planted  on  the  eastern  shore  of  the  continent  a  chain  of  English  colonies 
like  a  vanguard,  which  was  in  time  to  conquer  the  wilderness  and  fill  the 
land  with  busy  towns  and  thriving  villages.  The  hum  of  machinery  was  to 
be  heard  along  its  water-courses.  Its  hills  were  to  resound  to  the  whistle  of 
the  shop  and  locomotive.  The  wharfs  of  its  cities  were  to  be  crowded  with 
commerce  from  all  parts  of  the  world,  and  a  stream  of  emigration  was  to  pour 
in  from  all  the  crowded  nations  of  the  East,  and  an  empire  would  be  erected 
upon  the  foundation  that  these  feeble  colonies  were  laying.  Each  distinct, 
with  no  common  bond  but  the  slight  allegiance  to  a  distant  sovereign,  they 
were  to  become  united  in  one  mighty  compact,  and  together  give  the  world 
its  highest  ex  implc  of  a  free  government  of  the  people  and  for  the  people. 
These  earnest  men  buildcd  better  than  they  knew,  and  shaped  the  destinies 
of  the  ui*^^^  millions  who  should  come  after  theme 


BATTLE  MONUMENT,  BALTIMORE. 


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FTER  the  establishment  of  the  colonies  which  stretched 
along  the  Atlantic  coast   from   the  Penobscot   to  the 
Altamaha,  and  owned  allegiance  to  the  English  king, 
there  came  a  period  of  formation  and  growth  in  which 
they  developed  their  natural  resources  and  established 
their  commerce,  built  colleges  and  seminaries,  and  grew 
in   all    things    which    increased    their    prosperity    and 
strength.     The  Indian  tribes  were  subdued,  the  forests 
were  cleared  and  cities  and  towns  sprang  up  as  if  by  magic. 
Manufactories  were  built  and  agriculture  was  flourishing.    The 
colonies  were  left  alone  by  the  home  government  and  allowed  to 
direct   their  own  affairs.     In  some  cases  a  Governor  was  sent 
from  England  to  rule  the  colony,  but  the  laws  were  enacted  by 
representatives  chosen  by  the  people.     In  others  the  people  had 
the  right  to  elect  their  oun  Governors.     They  regulated  their 
own    commerce    and    internal    trade    and    directed  their  own 
taxation  and  system  of  religion  and  education. 

We  will  take  a  hasty  glance  at  the  condition  of  each  colony  during  this 
period. 

In  New  England  we  will  find  some  things  that  may  surprise  us.  The 
early  settlers  had  been  a  religious,  sensible  people,  but  when  they  left  Europe 
there  was  a  universal  belief  in  witchcraft.  King  James  had  written  a  strange 
book  on  Demonology,  in  which  he  said  that  to  forbear  to  put  witches  to 
death  was  an  "  odious  treason  against  God,"  and  the  people  were  no  wiser 
than  their  king. 

The  superstition  spread  to  America,  or  was  brought  thither  by  the  ship- 
loads of  emigrants  who  were  flocking  over  the  sea  to  find  a  home  here.  All 
at  once  it  burst  out  like  a  fearful  scourge  in  the  little  town  of  Salem, 
Massachusetts,  now  a  fine  city. 

There  was  here  a  minister  by  the  name  of  Parris.  The  daughter  and 
the  niece  of  this  clergyman  fell  ill  of  a  strange  nervous  disorder.  The  doctors 
claimed  that  they  were  bewitched,  and  the  minister  set  out  at  once  to  find 
out  who  were  the  offenders.  Three  old  women  were  suspected,  and  taken 
into  custody.  From  this  the  mania  spread,  and  every  one  became  alarmed 
and  suspicious.  No  one  was  safe.  Witches  were  supposed  to  ride  in  the  air 
at  night.  Even  the  beasts  were  not  safe,  and  once  a  dog  was  solemnly 
condemned  to  death  for  taking  some  part  in  a  satanic  festival. 

The  prisons  were  filled  with  the  accused,  and  many  were  put  to  death. 
The  town  of  Falmouth  hanged  its  minister;  and  the  wise  and  intelligent 
were  no  mote  secure  than  the  low  and  ignorant.    The  wild  panic  lasted  for  a, 


1775] 


THE  COLONIAL  PERIOD. 


227 


whole  year.  Those  who  confessed  that  they  were  wizards  or  witches  were  set 
free  for  the  most  part,  while  those  who  denied  it  were  judged  guilty  and 
hanged.  Many  refused  to  buy  their  life  by  falsehood  and  miserably  perished. 
The  delusion  spread  wide  like  a  forest  fire,  until  the  whole  colony  was  filled 
with  terror.  But  the  reaction  came  as  suddenly  as  the  outbreak  of  the 
mania.  The  Governor  put  an  end  to  all  the  persecution,  stopped  the 
prosecutions,  dismissed  all  the  suspected,  and  pardoned  the  condemned  ;  and 
the  General  Court  proclaimed  a  fast.  They  entreated  that  God  would 
pardon  the  errors  of  the  people  "  in  the  late  tragedy  caused  by  Satan  and  his 
instruments."  One  of  the  judges  with  bowed  head  stood  in  his  pew  in  a 
church  in  Boston  while  a  paper  was  read  asking  the  prayers  of  the 
congregation,  that  the  innocent  blood  which  he  had  shed  in  error  might 
not  be  laid  to  him,  or  the  country.  The  Salem  jury  asked  forgiveness 
of  God  and  of  the  community  for  what  they  had  done  under  the  power 
of  a  strong  and  general  delusion.  Reverend  Mr.  Parris  was  obliged  to 
resign  his  church  and  leave  the  town  a  broken  man.  The  error  of  New 
England  had  been  great  and  lamentable,  but  her  repentance  was  deep  and 
sincere.  Strange  as  was  this  wide-spread  delusion,  there  is  another  chapter  in 
colonial  history  none  the  less  strange.  The  very  men  who  had  come  across 
the  ocean  to  find  religious  liberty,  in  their  turn  became  persecutors  and 
bigots.  They  had  discovered  that  the  restraints  laid  upon  them  for 
conscience*  sake  were  unjust  and  grievous,  and  while  they  claimed  toleration 
for  themselves  they  had  not  learned  that  others  had  as  good  a  right  to  think 
for  themselves. 

After  a  few  years  of  cheerful  religious  liberty  there  began  to  arise  strange 
doctrines  which  they  thought  it  their  duty  to  put  down  at  all  hazards. 
Roger  Williams,  a  young  clergyman — "  godly  and  zealous  " — landed  in 
Boston  in  163 1,  with  strange  notions  he  had  brought  with  him.  He  had  been 
the  friend  of  John  Milton  and  taught  him  the  Dutch  language.  Long  and 
serious  study  had  convinced  him  that  in  regard  to  creed  and  form  of  worship, 
man  was  alone  responsible  to  his  Creator,  and  no  one  is  entitled  to  lay 
compulsion  upon  another  man  in  reference  to  his  religious  opinions. 

The  colonists  were  not  ready  to  receive  these  opinions  although  Williams 
was  settled  as  a  pastor  over  the  church  in  Salem,  where  he  was  held  in  high 
esteem.  But  his  bold  preaching  drew  down  upon  him  the  wrath  of  the 
authorities,  and  deserted  by  his  church  and  his  own  wife,  he  was  banished  to 
Rhode  Island  where  he  established  a  colony  for  perfect  religious  toleration, 
as  we  have  before  seen. 

Williams  had  a  forgiving  spirit  and  twice  saved  the  Puritan  colonies 
from  their  enemies.  But  they  continued  to  whip  the  Baptists,  and  when  the 
Quakers  came  to  Boston  the  General  Court  proclaimed  a  fast,  and  cast  them 
into  prison.  Their  books  were  burned  by  the  common  hangman,  and  ship 
masters  were  forbidden  to  bring  any  Quakers  into  the  colony.  They  were 
publicly  whipped,  had  their  tongues  seared  with  a  red-hot  iron  and  were 
banished  under  penalty  of  death  if  they  returned.     Four  persons  suffered 


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228 


THE  COLONIAL  PERIOD. 


[1773 


death  ;  others  had  their  ears  cut  off.  The  Quakers  had  friends  at  home,  and 
in  1661  a  letter  came  in  the  king's  name  directing  that  the  authorities  in  New 
England  should  forbear  to  proceed  farther  against  the  Quakers.  The  letter 
came  by  the  hand  of  a  Quaker  |who  was  under  sentence  of  death  if  he 
returned.  But  they  did  not  dare  to  do  otherwise  than  respect  it.  With  this 
closed  the  most  shameful  chapter  in  the  history  of  New  England. 

A  writer  on  the  history  of  these  times  offers  the  following  excuse  for  the 
persecution  of  this  peaceful  sect :  "  But,  in  justice  to  New  England,  it  must 
be  told  that  the  first  generation  of  Quakers  differed  extremely  from 
succeeding  generations.  They  were  a  fanatical  people, — extravagant,  intem- 
perate in  speech,  rejectors  of  lawful  authority.  They  believed  themselves 
guided  by  an  '  inner  light,'  which  habitually  placed  them  at  variance  with  the 
laws  and  customs  of  the  country  in  which  they  lived.  George  Fox  declared 
that  '  the  Lord  forbade  him  to  put  off  his  hat  to  any  man.'  His  followers 
were  provokingly  aggressive.  They  invaded  public  worship.  They  openly 
expressed  their  contempt  for  the  religion  of  their  neighbors.  They 
perpetually  came  with  '  messages  from  the  Lord,'  which  were  not  pleasant  to 
listen  to.  They  appeared  in  public  places  very  imperfectly  attired,  thus 
symbolically  to  Jexpress  and  to  rebuke  the  spiritual  nakedness  of  the  time. 
The  second  generation  of  New  England  Quakers  were  people  of  beautiful 
lives,  spiritual-minded,  hospitable,  and  just.  When  their  zeal  allied  itself 
with  discretion,  they  became  a  most  valuable  element  in  American  society. 
They  have  firmly  resisted  all  social  evils.  But  we  can  scarcely  wonder  that 
they  created  alarm  at  first.  The  men  of  New  England  took  a  very  simple 
view  of  the  subject.  They  had  bought  and  paid  for  every  acre  of  soil  which 
they  occupied.  Their  country  was  a  homestead  from  which  they  might 
exclude  whom  they  chose.  They  would  not  receive  men  whose  object  seemed 
to  be  to  overthrow  their  customs,  civil  and  religious.  It  was  a  mistake, 
but  a  most  natural  mistake.  Long  afterwards,  when  New  England  saw  her 
error,  she  made  what  amends  she  could,  by  giving  compensation  to  the 
representatives  of  those  Quakers  who  had  suffered  in  the  evil  times." 


:use  for  the 
ind,  it  must 
:mely    from 
gant,  intem- 
themselves 
ice  with  the 
Fox  declared 
His  followers 
They  openly 
3ors.      They 
)t  pleasant  to 
attired,  thus 
of  the  time, 
e  of  beautiful 
il  allied  itself 
:rican  society. 
^  wonder  that 
a  very  simple 
of   soil  which 
they  might 
object  seemed 
ras  a  mistake, 
gland  saw  her 
nsation  to  the 
mes." 


1733] 


THE  COLONIAL  PERIOD. 


229 


THE  GROWTH  AND  GOVERNMENT  OF  THE 

COLONIES. 


T  the  first  there  was  some  diversity  in  the  form  of 
government  in  the  different  colonies,  but  as  time  passed 
on  this  lessened,  and  one  general  type  came  to  be 
in  force  in  them  all.  The  governor  was  appointed  by 
the  king,  and  he  had  to  depend  upon  the  assembly  of 
representatives  chosen  from  the  people,  for  the  moneys 
needed  to  carry  on  the  Government  and  execute  its  laws. 
So  as  the  time  of  separation  drew  near  the  governors  found 
their  powers  very  much  circumscribed  by  the  heavy  pressure  which 
the  Assembly  brought  to  bear  upon  them.  When  the  governor  as 
the  king's  representative  had  a  falling  out  with  the  popular  will  as 
expressed  by  the  representatives  of  the  Commonwealth  they 
assumed  the  whole  business  of  government.  They  were  in  fact, 
a  self-governing  people  who  held  a  pride  in  their  connection  with 
the  mother  country,  but  if  their  governors  encroached  too  much 
upon  their  rights,  they  were  ready  to  resist  them  to  the  utmost. 
Virginia  had  two  councils  at  first,  one  appointed  by  the  king,  and  the  other 
elected  by  the  colonists,  but  both  were  under  control  of  the  king.  In  a  few 
years  the  representative  system  prevailed,  but  the  governor  retained  the 
power  of  veto.  She  was  more  closely  allied  to  the  Crown  than  the  more 
northern  colonies,  and  remained  loyal  to  the  Stuarts.  Charles  II.  ruled  her 
while  in  exile,  and  Virginia  refused  to  recognize  the  dictator,  Cromwell. 
Refugees  from  England  were  gladly  received  during  these  troublous  times, 
and  when  the  Stuarts  were  returned,  her  joy  was  unbounded. 

On  the  other  hand  the  colonists  of  New  England  had  come  to  America 
to  get  rid  of  kingly  rule,  and  were  of  a  difTerent  spirit  and  temper.  In  the 
little  cabin  of  the  Mayflower  they  had  signed  their  compact  of  government 
and  selected  their  own  governor.  Every  member  of  the  church  was  an 
elector,  and  could  hold  ofifice.  This  democratic  form  of  government 
continued  for  sixty  years,  until  the  despotic  James  II.  took  it  away  and 
appointed  a  governor  of  hfs  own  choosing.  They  cordially  supported 
Cromwell,  and  hesitated  for  two  years  after  the  restoration  of  Charles  II. 
before  they  recognized  him  as  their  king.  These  colonies  were  the  most 
democratic  and  the  least  tolerant  of  kingly  interference  of  any  of  the  colonies 
in  the  New  World.  New  York,  which  had  been  given  to  the  Duke  of  York, 
had  its  governor  appointed  by  him.  Pennsylvania  was  bestowed  upon  Penn^ 
who  had  a  right  to  name  its  governor.  But  at  last  all  the  colonies  came 
to  receive  a  governor  from  the  king.  Connecticut  held  out  longer  than  the 
'est,  and  when  the  governor,  appointed  by  the  king,  came  to  Hartford  to 


I'M: 


!   .    1 1    I 


U 


it! 


IfM 


M; 


ll*:   I 


i^ 


HI 


'.'  It 


i    !  0  'ft  '^i 

I'  'I'il    ""  ■"' 


1   .; 


i:^^y'r--  3 


«30 


THE  COLONIAL  PERIOD. 


[I7S5 


demand  the  charter  of  the  colony ;  it  was  hidden  in  the  hollow  of  an  oak  tree, 
afterward  known  as  the  Charter  Oak. 

While  the  colonies  had  as  yet  no  thought  of  separation  from  the  Old 
Country  they  were  still  in  the  presence  of  a  common  enemy.  The  French 
had  taken  Canada  and  the  present  State  of  Louisiana,  and  thus  were 
stretching  down  from  the  north,  and  up  from  the  south,  a  line  of  tradinfj 
posts  and  settlements,  which  was  a  continual  menace  to  the  western  frontier 
of  the  colonies.  The  French  were  inciting  the  Indians  to  attack  the  English, 
and  there  were  constant  incursions  upon  the  pioneers  who  were  moving 
westward  from  the  coast.  Sooner  or  later  the  trial  of  strength  must  come 
between  these  rival  forces.  The  French  claimed  the  Mississippi  River  and 
the  fertile  valley  of  the  Ohio.  To  establish  this  claim,  they  sent  three 
hundred  soldiers  into  this  valley  and  nailed  upon  the  trees  leaden  plates 
bearing  the  French  coat  of  arms,  and  drove  out  the  scattering  English  who 
had  ventured  there.  The  English,  on  their  part,  had  given  large  grants  of 
land  to  a  trading  company,  who  agreed  to  colonize  the  valley,  establish  trading 
relations  with  the  natives,  and  a  competent  military  force.  This  was  in  1749, 
and  then  the  two  nations  were  preparing  for  war.  The  home  government 
left  the  colonies  to  carry  on  the  struggle  for  themselves. 

Virginia  raised  a  little  army  and  appointed  a  young  man  of  twenty-one, 
in  whom  they  had  great  confidence  to  command  it.  His  name  was  George 
Washington ;  a  name  destined,  a  few  years  later,  to  become  famous  over  the 
whole  world.  He  started  for  a  fort  on  the  Ohio,  to  hold  it  as  an  out-post 
against  the  French,  but  after  toiling  on  in  the  pathless  forest  for  six  weeks, 
he  received  intelligence  that  the  French  were  coming  towards  him  with  a 
force  far  out-numbering  his.  He  halted  and  built  a  fort,  which  he  called 
Fort  Necessity,  because  his  men  were  half  starved  while  building  it.  Nor  did 
they  build  it  any  too  soon ;  for  the  French  attacked  the  fort,  and  after  a 
brave  resistance,  Washington  was  obliged  to  surrender,  upon  honorable  terms, 
and  return  to  Virginia. 

This  campaign  was  honorable  to  Washington,  but  resulted  in  no  especial 
advantage  to  the  colonies.  This  contest  between  the  colonies  of  French 
and  English  was  going  on  for  a  year  and  a  half  before  war  was  declared 
between  the  two  great  nations.  But  the  English  were  aroused  to  the 
necessity  of  doing  something  to  secure  the  rich  Ohio  valley,  and  they  sent 
Edward  Braddock,  an  officer  of  distinction,  with  two  regiments  of  soldiers,  to 
aid  the  colonies.  He  began  his  campaign  in  1755,  with  two  thousand  troops. 
He  had  learned  the  best  rules  of  war  in  the  broad  battle  fields  of  Europe,  but 
was  perfectly  unacquainted  with  the  rude  tactics  of  the  West.  Wash- 
ington  was  invited  to  join  his  staff,  and  the  young  man  eager  to  retrieve  his 
loss  in  the  former  campaign,  assented.  The  English  general  started  on  his 
march,  June  loth,  to  reach  Fort  Duquesne,  on  the  Ohio,  the  great  center  of  j 
French  power  in  the  valley.  Ohio  was  the  objective  point  of  Washington  in  1 
his  former  expedition,  and  was  deemed  of  great  importance.  This  fort  had 
been  built  by  the  English  and  taken  from  them  by  the  French.     Benjamin 


1759] 


THE  COLONIAL  PERIOD. 


331 


Franklin  told  General  Braddock  that  "  he  would  undoubtedly  take  the  fort 
if  he  could  reach  it,  but  the  long  slender  line  which  his  army  must  form  on 
the  march  would  be  cut  like  a  thread  in  several  pieces  by  the  hostile  Indians." 
Hraddock  "  smiled  at  his  ignorance."  Franklin  offered  no  further  opinion, 
but  performed  his  duties  of  collecting  horses  and  equipage  for  the  army. 
The  young  aid-de-camp,  Washington,  offered  some  suggestions  based  on  his 
experience,  but  the  general  would  not  listen  to  any  advice  from  a  provincial 
subordinate.  No  scouts  were  sent  out,  and  the  commander  did  not  know 
how  near  his  unseen  foes  might  be.  He  was  marching  along  a  road  twelve 
feet  wide,  when  suddenly  an  Indian  war-hoop  burst  upon  the  air,  and  a 
murderous  fire  opened  upon  them.  The  battle  lasted  three  hours  and 
General  Braddock  was  killed.  "  Who  would  have  thought  it  ? "  said  the 
dying  man  as  they  carried  him  from  the  field. 

Washington  was  the  only  mounted  officer  who  remained  unharmed, 
while  the  regulars,  seeing  their  general  fall,  fled  in  confusion.  But  young 
Washington  rallied  the  provincials  and  covered  the  retreat  of  the  regulars 
with  such  a  desperate  defense  that  the  Indians  did  not  follow.  One  half  of 
the  entire  force  had  been  killed,  and  the  remainder  returned,  disheartened  a"d 
broken,  at  the  end  of  a  disastrous  expedition. 

War  was  now  proclaimed  between  France  and  England,  and  the  siege  of 
Quebec  by  the  English  General  Wolfe  followed.  This  was  the  crowning 
achievement  of  a  long  and  tedious  war  which  established  the  English  in 
possession  of  Canada,  and  saved  the  Northwest  to  the  Anglo-Saxon  crown. 

The  English  fleet  came  to  Quebec  in  June,  1759,  with  a  large  force. 
Captain  James  Cook,  the  famous  navigator,  who  had  been  the  first  to  sail 
around  the  world,  was  in  charge  of  one  of  the  ships,  and  General  Wolfe  had 
command  of  the  army.  The  city  was  divided  into  an  upper  town,  on  the 
heights  of  Abraham,  beyond  the  reach  of  the  guns  from  the  fleet,  and  a  lower 
town,  on  the  banks  of  the  river.  The  lower  town  was  quickly  reduced,  but 
the  upper  town  held  out  against  any  attempt  of  the  English.  But  the 
enthusiastic  young  general  was  not  to  be  baffled,  and  carefully  searched  the 
coast  for  miles  around.  He  found  an  opening  where  a  path  led  up  to  the 
heights  above,  and  here  Wolfe  resolved  to  land  his  men,  lead  an  attack  and 
capture  the  French  position,  or  perish  in  the  attempt.  One  night  in 
September,  he  landed  his  men  silently,  and  they  quietly  clambered  up  the 
high  hill,  while  the  sailors  contrived  to  drag  up  a  few  heavy  guns.  When  the 
morning  rose  the  whole  army  stood  on  the  Heights  of  Abraham. 

Montcalm,  the  French  commander,  was  so  taken  by  surprise  at  the 
presence  of  the  enemy,  that  he  refused  to  believe  the  first  report  which  came  to 
him.  But  he  lost  no  time  in  forming  his  line  of  battle,  and  made  a  fierce  and 
bloody  contest  with  his  unexpected  assailants.  Both  generals  fell  in  the 
conflict,  Wolfe  dying  happy  at  the  thought  of  the  French  defeat.  As  his 
blood  was  flowing  he  heard  the  shouts,  "  They  fly !  They  fly !  "  He  raised 
his  head  to  ask,  "  Who  fly  ?  "  "  The  French,"  was  the  answer.  "  Then  I  die 
content/'  said  the  hero.    The  French  General  died  thankful  he  was  not 


1 1 


232 


THE  COLONIAL  PERIOD. 


L>755 


compelled  to  surrender  to  the  English.  These  men  died  as  enemies,  but 
after-generations  blended  the  two  names  upon  a  common  monument,  which 
marks  out  to  posterity  the  scene  of  this  decisive  battle.  The  French  madr 
an  ineffectual  attempt  to  regain  Quebec  the  following  year.  In  due  time  tlu; 
French  surrendered  Canada  to  the  English;  at  the  same  time,  Spain  gave  vip 
Florida  to  England  ;  and  thus  the  English  held  undisputed  possession  of 
America  from  the  regions  of  perpetual  ice  and  snow  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 

All  these  contests  with  the  savages  and  the  French  had  fallen  with  heaviest 
weight  upon  the  colonists,  although  they  had  received  some  assistance  from 
the  home  government  in  the  latter  part  of  the  struggle.  The  colonies  had 
poured  out  their  blood  and  treasure  without  stint  and  were  loyal  to  their 
King.  They  were  proud  of  the  mother  country,  and  were  willing  to  do  tluir 
utmost  to  support  the  honor  of  the  English  flag.  A  hundred  and  fifty  years 
had  passed  since  the  settlement  of  the  feeble  colonies  on  the  Atlantic  coast. 
They  were  self-sustaining  and  prosperous  and  their  increase  in  numbers  and 
wealth  was  most  remarkable.  Thousands  were  coming  every  year  to  seek 
their  fortunes  in  the  West.  America  opened  her  wide  arms  to  the  oppressed 
and  offered  them  the  blessing  of  liberty  and  comfort.  The  thirteen  colonics 
had  increased  to  a  population  of  three  millions  and  were  upon  the  eve  of  a 
mighty  struggle. 


Hh:rt 


i    f. 


THE  WAR  OF 


THE  GATHERING  CLOUD. 


T  may  be  a  natural  question  to  ask,  how  it  came  to  pass 

that    in   the   short   space  of   ten      '    twelve   years   the 

affection  and  respect  which  the  colonics  had  for  England, 

which  they  still  fondly  called  "  home,"  were  changed  to 

hatred  and  a  desire   for  separation  ?     What  cause  had 

been  at  work   to   sever  the  bonds  of   attachment,  and 

awaken  the  mighty  spirit  of  resistance  which  spread  all 

over  the  country  ?      For  generations  they  had  spoken  the  same 

language,  and  had  a  common  code  of  laws,  while  glorying  in  the 

history  of  the  past. 

England  was  the  model  in  all  things,  and  to  be  an  "  Old 
England  man "  gave  one  a  prestige  and  position  among  the 
colonists ;  while  all  yielded  a  willing  obedience  to  her  laws.  They 
were  governed,  as  Benjamin  Franklin  had  said,  "  at  the  mere  expense 
of  ink  and  paper."  I^  jney  was  voted  without  grudge  by  their 
assemblies,  and  all  the  relations  between  the  colonies  and  the  home 
government  were  of  the  pleasantcst  kind,  and  such  was  their  love 
for  England  that  "  they  were  led  by  a  thread." 

But  a  wonderful  change  was  wrought  in  the  public  mind,  and  the  aroused 
people  resolved  in  their  public  gathering  by  the  most  solemn  compact,  that 
they  would  not  use  any  article  of  English  manufacture,  or  engage  in  any 
transaction  which  would  bring  money  into  the  pockets  of  the  English.  They 
tarred  and  feathered  any  person  who  expressed  friendliness  for  the  British, 


I-/!' 


J*  I 


I     'I 


r 


i  fl 


J 


I 

i; 

\  !  I 


R  V; 


Rl'  . 


'  m  ji 


:'?-i    Wi 


ril 


lifi 


234 


THE  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


[i;75 


and  burned  the  acts  of  Parliament  by  the  common  hangman.  They  fired 
upon  the  king's  soldiers,  and  resisted  the  authority  of  the  king's  government. 
In  fact,  the  thirteen  colonies  were  in  open  rebellion  and  armed  resistance. 
What  had  caused  this  wonderful  change,  and  how  were  three  millions  of 
obedient  subjects  taught  to  despise  and  fight  against  the  very  men  whom 
they  had  before  regarded  as  fellow  countrymen?  The  answer  to  these 
questions  can  be  summed  up  in  one  sentence.  Thi  persistent  ignorance  and 
folly  of  the  English  government,  urged  on  by  cupidity  and  a  desire  to  wring 
out  of  the  prosperous  colonies  a  rich  revenue  to  replenish  the  depleted 
treasury  of  the  country  that  had  become  exhausted  in  the  expensive  wars  of 
Europe,  wrought  all  this  evil,  and  lost  to  the  English  crown  her  richest 
possessions  in  the  western  world.  The  result  was  that  a  new  nation  was 
formed  that  was  destined  to  become  the  leading  power  of  Christendom,  but 
it  would  have  been  better  if  she  had  gone  in  peace,  and  thus  not  engendered 
an  animosity  that  lasted  for  two  generations,  and  led  to  two  disastrous  wars 
between  men  of  the  same  language  and  religion.  We  come  now  to  the  story 
of  this    Iruggle. 

England  had  shown  for  many  years  a  disposition  to  govern  her  American 
colonies  in  a  spirit  of  harshness  and  undisguised  selfishness.  The  interest  of 
England  was  the  chief  object,  and  not  the  good  of  the  colonies.  No  foreign 
vessels  could  land  in  American  ports,  and  woolen  fabrics  could  not  be  taken 
from  one  colony  to  another.  At  one  time  the  manufacture  of  hats  was 
forbidden.  Iron  works  were  prohibited,  and  up  to  the  last  the  Bible  could 
not  be  printed  in  America.  The  colonies  had  borne  the  expense  of  their  own 
governments  and  defenses,  but  now  the  long-continued  struggle  had  left  the 
treasury  of  England  very  low,  and  Parliament  came  to  discuss  the  propriety 
of  taxing  the  colonies  for  the  benefit  of  the  home  government.  The  eager 
eye  of  Lord  Greenville  was  searching  for  something  new  to  tax,  and  he  saw 
that  America  was  growing  rich  and  powerful.  The  English  officers  who  had 
served  in  the  West,  had  brought  back  the  most  glowing  accounts  of  its 
resources  and  prosperity.  The  English  merchants  were  already  envious  of 
their  increasing  wealth.  When  the  House  of  Commons  passed  their 
resolution  setting  forth  their  right  to  tax  the  colonies,  not  a  single  voice  or 
vote  opposed  the  measure.  Thereupon  an  act  was  passed  imposing  a  tax 
upon  silks,  sugar,  coffee,  and  other  articles  used  in  the  colonies.  The 
Americans  remonstrated,  and  claimed  that  taxation  and  representation  should 
go  together ;  they  were  willing  to  vote  what  money  the  king  might  require 
of  them,  but  they  would  not  pay  taxes  when  they  had  no  voice  in  laying 
them.  But  Lord  Greenville,  who  thought  the  Americans  would  finally  submit, 
persisted  in  his  course.  The  act  called  the  Stamp  Act  was  passed  at  the 
next  session  of  Parliament  in  1765,  this  required  a  government  stamp  on  all 
legal  documents.  Benjamin  Franklin  told  the  House  of  Commons  that 
America  would  never  submit  to  this,  and  no  power  on  earth  could  enforce  it. 
Nor  could  England  long  misunderstand  the  position  of  the  colonies  upon  this 


1765] 


THE  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


235 


question.  Everywhere  in  New  England  riots  were  raised,  and  the  Stamp  Act 
was  denounced.  \ 

The  stamp  distributors  wore  obh'ged  to  resign.  A  universal  protest  that 
they  would  not  eat,  drink,  or  use  anything  which  came  from  England,  was 
passed  by  the  citizens  everywhere.  The  act  came  in  ')rce  November  1st, 
1765,  and  on  that  day  the  bells  tolled,  and  the  people  appeared  as  if  some 
great  public  calamity  had  fallen  upon  them. 

Not  a  stamp  was  sold  in  America,  but  business  went  on  all  the  same,  men 
were  married,  and  bought  and  sold  their  goods.  The  courts  were  held  and  all 
the  functions  of  government  went  on ;  but  all  this  was  illegal  because  it  was 
done  without  stamps.  Yet  no  serious  harm  came  of  it.  The  English  were 
astonished,  and  some  demanded  that  the  Stamp  Act  be  enforced  with  the 
sword,  but  the  British  merchants  feared  the  loss  of  their  trade  with  the 
colonies  if  this  were  done. 

William  Pitt,  afterwards  the  Earl  of  Chatham,  joined  with  the  merchants 
and  caused  a  repeal  of  the  law  the  very  next  year.  But  stupid  old  King 
George  never  ceased  to  regret "  the  fatal  repeal  of  the  Stamp  Act." 

The  first  inter-colonial  Congress  was  raised  during  this  excitement.  It 
met  at  New  York,  but  did  little  else  than  agitate  and  discuss  the  situation 
of  things.  It  accomplished  a  good  design  in  showing  the  tendency  of  Union 
between  the  States. 

The  approaching  crisis  was  delayed  for  a  little  time  by  the  repeal  of  the 
Stamp  Act.  But  when  the  feeling  in  England  was  stormy  against  the 
colonies,  Charles  Townshend,  the  virtual  Prime  Minister  of  England,  during 
the  sickness  of  Pitt,  proposed  to  levy  various  taxes  on  America.  All  his 
proposed  measures  became  laws.  The  most  obnoxious  of  them  was  a  tax  of 
three  pence  a  pound  on  tea.     This  act  was  passed  in  1767. 

The  Americans  despaired  of  justice  and  right  from  the  English  Parliament, 
yet  they  hardly  dared  to  think  of  open  separation,  but  already  the  most 
thoughtful  among  them  were  becoming  fixed  in  their  opinion  as  to  what  the 
issue  would  be.  They  protested,  they  appealed,  they  held  large  public 
meetings,  and  everywhere  the  people  were  inflamed  with  a  sense  of  their 
injuries,  other  laws  restricting  the  liberties  of  America  were  passed  by 
Parliament,  and  the  people  resorted  to  the  last  step  in  the  solution  of  the 
fearful  problem.  Riots  were  raised,  the  foreign  officials  were  resisted,  and 
public  meetings  were  held  to  deliberate  upon  their  grievances. 

English  troops  were  sent  across  the  ocean  to  preserve  order.  Their 
presence  was  galling  to  the  citizens,  who  could  not  brook  this  restraint  upon 
their  liberty. 

The  press,  the  pulpit,  and  the  assemblies  of  representatives  in  all  the 
colonies  were  bold  in  their  utterances  against  the  tyranny  of  the  old  country. 
The  General  Court  of  Massachusetts,  called  on  their  governor  to  remove  the 
soldiers,  but  he  was  powerless.  The  governor  called  upon  the  court  to  raise 
money  to  maintain  the  troops,  and  they  took  infinite  pleasure  in  refusing  to 


I  r 


I  n 


4i 


U 


'<■    -iil  -^1'    ■. 


236 


THE  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


[1775 


raise  money  for  that  purpose.  Then  came  the  Boston  massacre,  in  which  the 
troops  fired  upon  the  citizens,  and  killed  and  wounded  eleven  persons.  This 
inflamed  the  zeal  of  the  patriots  still  more,  and  the  entire  populace  was 
aroused.  The  people  again  demanded  the  removal  of  the  troops  from  the 
city,  and  the  trial  of  the  soldiers  for  murder.  This  was  complied  with,  and 
two  of  the  soldiers  were  found  guilty  of   murder,  by  a  Boston  jury. 

Parliament  now  wavered  in  its  treatment  of  America,  and  removed  all  the 
duties,  except  the  small  one  on  tea.  But  they  had  mistaken  the  feeling  of 
their  colonies.  It  was  not  the  amount  of  the  tax  to  which  they  objected, 
but  the  principal  of  taxation  without  representation. 

In  the  spring  of  1773,  ships  laden  with  the  taxed  tea,  appeared  in  the 
bay  of  Boston.  The  crisis  has  now  arrived.  Although  it  is  Sunday,  a 
council  was  called  in  the  exigency.  If  that  tea  is  landed,  it  will  be  sold  and 
liberty  will  become  a  by-word  in  America. 

Samuel  Adams,  a  man  of  strict  integrity  and  powerful  eloquence  as  a 
speaker  and  writer,  was  the  true  leader  of  the  revolt  in  Massachusetts.  He 
was  one  of  the  first  who  saw  at  the  outset  that  there  could  be  no  stopping- 
place  short  of  independence.  "  We  are  free,"  he  said,  "  and  want  no  king." 
He  assumed  the  leadership  of  his  fellows,  and  was  worthy  of  the  trust.  They 
hoped  that  the  officers  of  the  East  Indian  Company,  in  whose  employ  the 
ships  were  engaged,  would  send  them  back,  but  they  refused.  Days  of  intense 
excitement  followed.  Public  meetings  were  held  constantly  in  an  old  building, 
Faneuil  Hall,  afterward  known  as  the  cradle  of  American  liberty.  One  day 
the  debate  waxed  hot,  and  the  people  continued  together  till  night-fail. 
Samuel  Adams  announced,  "  This  meeting  can  do  nothing  more  to  save 
the  country,"  and  with  a  shout  it  broke  up.  The  excited  crowd  hastened 
down  to  the  wharf,  led  by  fifty  men  disguised  as  Indians.  This  band  of 
disguised  men,  rushed  on  ship  board,  broke  open  the  boxes  of  tea,  and 
poured  their  contents  into  the  harbor.  The  crowd  looked  on  in  silence,  an,d 
not  a  sound  was  heard  but  the  striking  of  the  hatchets,  and  the  splash  of  the 
ruined  tea  in  the  water.  That  cargo  of  tea  would  bring  no  taxes  into  the 
English  treasury,  that  was  certain.  This  was  the  night  of  December  i6th, 
1773,  and  was  the  first  move  of  the  colonists  toward  open  resistance.  Then 
they  waited  to  see  what  might  be  the  next  move  of  England. 

Lord  North  was  then  Prime  Minister  of  the  English  Crown,  and  he 
determined  to  deal  harshly  with  such  men.  The  port  of  Boston  was  closed  as 
a  port  of  entry  and  sailing  for  shipping ;  a  heavy  fine  was  imposed  for  the 
destruction  of  the  tea.  The  charter  of  Massachusetts  was  revoked,  and  the 
governor  was  ordered  to  send  political  offenders  to  England  for  trial.  In 
spite  of  the  remonstrance  of  Lord  Chatham,  and  of  Edmund  Burke,  these 
measures  became  laws.  Four  regiments  of  regulars  were  sent  to  Boston, 
under  the  command  of  General  Gage.  The  Americans  held  a  day  of  fasting 
and  prayer.  More  than  this,  they  organized  military  companies,  and  began 
the  process  of  equipment  and  drill.  While  all  this  was  going  on  in  the 
northen  provinces,  the  other  Colonies  were  not  idle,  but  Massachusetts  received 


'775] 


THE  WAk  op  independence. 


«37 


the  heaviest  blows  of  vengeance.  An  invitation  to  all  the  Colonies  to  meet 
in  General  Congress  at  Philadelphia,  on  the  fifth  day  of  September,  1774,  was 
sent  out  by  the  sturdy  Representatives,  who  met  in  Salem,  Massachusetts. 
Twelve  States  sent  delegations  to  this  Congress.  Georgia,  the  youngest  and 
most  southern  of  the  thirteen  Colonies,  alone  stood  trembling  upon  the  verge 
of  the  perilous  enterprise. 

The  first  General  Congress  of  the  American  States,  met  in  Carpenter's 
Hall,  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  on  the  5th  day  of  September,  1774,  agreeable 
to  this  call.  The  regular  business  of  the  Congress,  began  on  the  7th,  and  was 
opened  v/ith  prayer.  In  all  their  proceedings,  decorum,  firmness,  moderation 
and  loyalty  were  manifested,  and  the  delegates  voted  to  adjourn  to  the  loth  dr.y 
of  the  following  May,  unless  the  English  Crown  in  the  meantime  should  redress 
their  grievances.     But  King  George  was  blind  and  stubborn. 

Lord  Chatham  said  in  open  Parliament  of  the  men  who  formed  this 
Continental  Congress :  "  For  solidity  of  reasoning,  force  of  sagacity,  and 
wisdom  of  conclusion  under  such  a  complication  of  circumstances,  no  nation, 
or  body  of  men  can  stand  in  preference  to  the  General  Congress  in  Phila- 
delphia." Peyton  R.r.dolph,  of  Virginia,  was  President,  and  Charles 
Thompson,  of  Pcnnsy'vania,  was  secretary  of  this  body.  George  Washington, 
Patrick  Henry,  Johr  Routlcdge,  Richard  Henry  Lee,  John  Dickinson,  and 
other  men  of  that  stamp  were  there.  Washington  assures  us  that  this 
Congress  did  not  aim  at  independence,  but  a  removal  of  wrongs.  The  time 
was  ripe  for  open  resistance,  and  the  patriots  of  Massachusetts  were  busy  in 
the  autumn  and  winter  of  1774,  in  making  preparations  for  war,  and  uniting 
the  people  to  meet  the  storm  that  was  sure  to  come. 


■I  i; 


;  ■,  X' 


!'■; 


.'^n 


238 


THE  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


[i;;5 


Ik  h 


THE  BURSTING  OF  THE  STORM. 

O  alternative  was  now  left  to  the  colonists,  and  they 
saw  that  they  must  fight  for  their  liberties  or  forego 
them  altogether.    Throughout  the  State  of  Massachu- 
setts, where  the  heel  of  the  oppressor  was  planted  the 
heaviest,  the  most  active  preparations  were  in  progress. 
Minute   men   were   drilling,   and   stores   of  arms    and 
ammunition   were   being    collected    in    central  places, 
where    they   would   be   considered   safe   from   seizure   by  the 
British.     The  press  and   the  pulpit  vied  with  the  rostrum  in 
their  bold  defiance  of  the  aggression  of  the  soldiers.     Fathers 
and  sons  were  urged  on  by  their  wives  and  mothers,  and  the 
spirit  of  freedom  incited  them  to  deeds  of  danger  and  sacrifice. 
The   officers   of  the    English   Government   were  insulted,   the 
soldiers  defied,  and  the  laws  set  at  defiance.     Such  was  the 
condition  of  things  when  the  spring  of  1775  dawned  upon  the 
conflict.     This  is  regarded  as  the  first  year  of  the  long  struggle  of 
seven  years  which  was  to  test  the  strength  of  the  young  country  in 
her  contest  with  the  victorious  armies  of  English  warriors  who  came 
fresh  from  the  battle-fields  of  Europe. 

General  Gage,  the  commander  of  the  British  forces  in  Boston,  had 
learned  that  a  large  amount  of  military  stores  were  secreted  at  Concord, 
eighteen  miles  away.  He  decided  to  send  an  expedition  to  seize  it  in  the 
king's  name.  He  sent  eight  hundred  soldiers  upon  the  errand.  To  prevent 
the  tidings  from  being  carried  to  the  patriots  the  general  forbade  any  one 
going  out  of  Boston.  The  troops  were  silently  landed  at  the  foot  of  the 
Common,  where  the  tide  then  reached,  under  the  pretence  of  learning  a  new 
kind  of  drill.  Doctor  Warren,  ai^erwards  killed  at  Bunker  Hill,  made 
arrangements  with  his  friend,  Paul  Revere,  to  carry  "  the  tidings  to  every 
Middlesex  village  and  farm."  Young  Revere  escaped  from  Boston  in  a  small 
boat  just  five  minutes  before  the  guard  was  stationed  to  prevent  any  one  from 
leaving  the  city.  He  was  to  notify  Hancock  and  Adams  who  were  at 
Lexington,  and  to  arouse  the  people  all  along  the  route.  Revere  waited  on 
the  Charlestown  shore  until  his  friend  should  learn  how  the  British  were  to 
proceed.  He  was  to  hang  a  lantern  in  the  North  Church  tower,  "  one  if  by 
land  and  two  if  by  sea."  At  the  instant  the  twin  lights  appeared  upon 
the  tower,  be  da.shed  off  in  the  darkness  and  spread  the  tidings.  He  reached 
Lexington  and  warned  Hancock  and  Adams.  Then  he  proceeded  toward 
Concord,  but  was  arrested  by  a  British  guard,  not,  however,  until  he  had 
communicated  the  news  to  a  friend,  who  carried  it  forward. 

The  British  crossed  the  Charles  River  and  marched  all  night,  and  reached 
Lexington  just  as  day  was  breaking.    The  minute  men  were  called  by  the 


1775] 


THE  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


839 

in  their  ranks  to 


beating  of  the  drum,  and  sixty  or  seventy  farmers  stood 
meet  ten  times  as  many  trained  soldiers. 

There  they  stood  on  the "  Common,  in  the  cold  frosty  morning  as  the 
regulars  came  up.  Captain  John  Parker  had  ordered  them  not  to  fire  on  the 
British  until  they  had  first  fired  on  them.  Major  Pitcairn  rode  up  and 
ordered  the  "  villains  "  and  "  rebels,"  with  an  oath  to  disperse,  and  instantly 
commanded  his  men  to  fire  on  them. 

The  captain  of  the  Continentals  had  intended  to  disperse  his  men,  but 
the  fire  of  the  British  had  killed  eleven  and  wounded  nine,  one-fourth  of  the 
whole.  The  British  fire  was  returned  only  by  a  few  of  the  wounded  men ;  not 
an  Englishman  was  harmed.  But  the  war  had  begun  by  the  cold-blooded 
murder  of  Americans  on  their  own  soil. 

It  was  no  battle  and  the  act  of  the  British  officer  was  nothing  less  than 
wanton  murder.  Samuel  Adams  said  when  he  heard  it,  "  Oh  !  what  a 
glorious  morning  this  is,"  knowing  that  it  would  rally  and  unite  all  the 
people.  The  regulars  cheered  over  their  triumph  of  sixty  or  seventy  farmers, 
who  had  not  attacked  them,  and  pressed  on  to  Concord.  They  reached  here 
at  seven  in  the  morning,  but  were  too  Ltc,  for  the  news  of  their  coming  had 
preceded  them  several  hours.  The  military  stores  had  most  of  them  been 
removed  and  hidden  away,  and  but  little  remained  for  them  to  destroy.  In 
the  mean  time  the  towns  all  around  had  been  aroused,  and  the  militia  were 
pouring  in  from  every  direction.  There  were  not  enough  to  attack  the 
troops,  nor  was  there  any  serious  thoughts  of  doing  so,  and  they  were  with- 
drawn from  the  village  of  Concord  to  a  hill  on  the  other  side  of  the  river. 
The  British  scattered  to  find  the  concealed  stores,  and  one  party  went  ovei 
the  north  bridge  and  one  over  the  south.  As  the  party  went  over  the  north 
bridge,  the  provincial  troops,  if  troops  we  could  call  them,  were  in  plain  sight, 
and  therefore,  a  part  of  the  regulars,  about  one  hundred,  were  left  to  guard 
the  bridge,  while  the  rest,  about  the  same  number,  went  over.  The 
Continentals  saw  the  British  at  the  bridge  and  could  see  the  smoke  that  arose 
across  the  bridge.  What  should  they  do  ?  see  their  houses  burned  and  not 
go  to  the  rescue  of  their  wives  and  children  ?  They  consulted  and  agreed  to 
march  down  to  the  bridge,  but  not  a  man  was  to  fire  until  they  had  been  fired 
upon.  The  British  saw  them  coming  and  began  to  tear  up  the  bridge.  The 
Continentals  hurried  on  and  the  British  fired  upon  them, — at  first  one  or  two 
shots  by  which  no  harm  was  done ;  then  more  shots  were  fired ;  two  men 
were  wounded  ;  a  whole  volley  and  two  of  the  patriots  were  killed.  "  Fire  ! 
fellow  soldiers ;  for  God's  sake,  fire  !  "  cried  Captain  John  Buttrick,  leaping 
into  the  air  and  turning  to  his  men.  This  began  the  American  revolution. 
Two  British  were  killed  and  several  injured.  Blood  had  been  shed  by  men  in 
armed  rebellion,  and  the  men  who  had  done  it  were  rebels  and  traitors. 
There  could  be  no  backward  steps  now,  and  the  contest  must  wage  till  one  or 
the  other  side  should  give  in.  This  was  the  battle  of  Concord,  and  the  first 
one  of  the  war. 

The  British  retreated   from  the  town,  as  quickly  as  possible  toward 


m 


i    S 


H 


IS^vi 


11 


5  i  .'■  M 


)"  i 


•   i 


340 


THE  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


[1755 


Lexington  and  Boston.  It  had  been  a  mild  winter  followed  by  an  early 
spring,  and  the  day  was  intensely  hot.  The  provision  train  which  was  to 
supply  them  with  food  had  been  taken,  and  all  they  could  get  was  what  they 
might  plunder  from  the  citizens.  Nor  was  this  the  worst,  for  the  minute  men 
without  any  orders  from  their  officers,  but  each  on  his  own  account,  lay  in 
ambush  behind  trees  and  fences  and  stone-walls,  where  they  were  safe, 
and  kept  up  a  harassing  fire  upon  the  retreating  British  to  the  very 
shelter  of  their  ships.  As  the  troops  would  pass  by  one.  place  the 
patriots  would  go  forward  by  by-paths  and  fire  upon  them  again  from 
another  position.  When  one  party  became  worn  out,  fresh  recruits  would 
come  up  from  the  surrounding  country,  and  thus  the  war  was  kept  up 
all  along  the  distressing  march  back  to  Boston.  The  march  was  kept 
up  in  good  order  at  first,  fcut  broke  into  an  irregular  rout  at  last. 
About  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  they  were  met  by  twelve  hundred 
British  troops,  sent  out  from  Boston  to  aid  them  with  two  pieces  of 
artillery.  But  their  position  was  perilous  even  after  the  arrival  of  these 
reinforcements.  The  colonists  were  increasing  in  numbers  every  moment, 
and  unless  they  moved  rapidly  the  whole  force  would  be  cut  off.  The 
firing  began  again,  and  more  and  more  of  the  patriots  came  up  to  aid  the 
weary  Continentals,  and  they  fought  like  men  in  thorough  earnest,  and 
although  they  were  undisciplined  and  their  methods  were  crude  they  put  the 
very  flower  of  the  English  army  to  the  worst,  and  it  was  not  till  seven  o'clock 
at  night  that  the  regulars  were  safe  under  the  protection  of  the  guns  of  their 
ships. 

The  British  lost  'seventy-three  killed,  one  hundred  and  seventy-two 
wounded,  and  twenty-six  missing ;  while  the  Americans  had  forty-nine  killed 
thirty-six  wounded  and  six  missing.  The  British  suffered  heavily  in  the  loss 
of  officers.  This  was  the  opening  contest  that  the  British  had  forced  upon 
their  patient  and  loyal  subjects  in  America,  and  which  was  to  rage  for 
seven  years.  We  will  now  speak  of  some  of  the  heroes  whose  names  are 
conspicuous  in  this  period  of  American  history. 


ifn-f 


'•(1" 


1765] 


THE  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


241 


GEORGE    WASHINGTON, 

THE  COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF  OF   THE  CONTINENTAL  ARMY. 

'HE  man  who  was  fondly  regarded,  "the  first  in  war, 
the  first  in  peace,  and  the  first  in  the  hearts  of  his 
countrymen,"  can  trace  the  line  of  his  ancestry,  beyond 
the  Norman  conquest  in  England. 

He  was  born  February  22nd,  1732,  in  Virginia,  and 
educated  by  his  mother,  who  became  a  widow  when  her 
eldest  son  was  eleven  years  of  age.  She  early  instilled 
into  his  mind  a  love  of  goodness  and  truth,  which  gave  a  color 
to  all  his  after  life,  and  to  a  great  extent,  moulded  the  destinies 
of  America.  Under  her  gentle  yet  firm  control,  George  learned 
I  ^  the  great  lessons  of  obedience  and  self-command,  and  in  early 
life  gave  promise  of  the  excellences  which  would  ripen  into  a 
well-rounded  manhood.  He  had  his  mother's  love  of  command, 
f^and  inherited  her  calm,  judicial  character  of  mind.  Even 
among  his  schoolmates  he  became  an  arbitrator  of  their  dis- 
putes and  would  not  allow  anything  unjust  or  unfair.  His 
person  was  large  and  powerful,  and  he  delighted  in  athletic 
sports,  and  out  of  door  pursuits.  He  had  a  bodily  frame  suited  to  a  lofty 
soul,  and  could  endure  hardship,  toil  and  fatigue,  to  almost  any  extent.  His 
education  was  limited,  and  he  learned  no  language  but  his  mother  tongue. 
He  learned  mathematics  and  land  surveying,  the  keeping  of  accounts,  and 
the  framing  of  legal  documents.  This  was  the  extent  of  his  literary 
acquirements.  But  George  Washington  was  precise  and  exact  in  every  thing 
he  undertook.  His  copy  books,  and  measurements  of  surveying  when  studying, 
were  as  neat  and  scrupulously  kept,  as  if  they  were  of  great  pecuniary  value. 
At  the  age  of  eighteen,  we  find  him  serving  as  a  government  surveyor  for 
the  State  of  Virginia.  Many  of  his  returns  are  on  file  in  the  county  court- 
house, and  are  so  very  accurate  that  their  evidence  is  taken  in  contested 
disputes  to  this  day,  where  the  measurement,  or  boundary  of  land  is  involved. 
He  was  Adjutant  General  of  one  of  the  military  districts  of  his  native  State 
before  the  Indian  war,  and  as  we  have  seen,  was  sent  to  the  Ohio  valley 
with  a  body  of  troops,  when  he  was  not  yet  twenty-two  years  of  age.  He 
covered  the  retreat  of  the  remnant  of  General  Braddock's  army,  after  his 
death,  and  was  a  member  of  the  first  Continental  Congress  at  Philadelphia  in 
1774.  He  was  for  the  years  prior  to  the  Revolution  engaged  in  conducting 
the  affairs  of  his  private  estate  at  Mount  Vernon,  Virginia,  where  he  shipped 
his  tobacco,  kept  his  books  and  conducted  his  own  correspondence.  He  raised 
a  large  quantity  of  wheat,  and  ground  it  at  his  own  mill.  It  became  renowned 
for  its  excellent  quality,  and  such  was  his  reputation  for  business  integrity 
that  no  one  thought  of  inspecting  the  barrel  which  bore  his  brand.  He  had 
the  rare  combination  of  a  massive  intellect,  an  iron  will,  and  a  gentle,  loving 


;  '■'  .<?'' 


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242 


THE  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


[1765 


heart.  In  him  was  united  a  perfect  equipoise  of  all  the  elements  of  manhood, 
and  in  a  great  degree  did  he  combine  the  qualities  of  the  Spartan  Lycurgus, 
the  Roman  Cincinnatus,  and  the  Greek  Alexander.  A  true  patriot,  a  born 
leader,  and  a  safe  counselor  in  the  army,  in  congress  and  at  the  head  of 
government ;  he  was  the  chosen  instrument  of  Providence,  raised  up  to  meet 
the  demand  of  the  times  in  which  he  lived,  and  to  earn  the  proud  title  which 
succeeding  generations  have  given  him,  "  The  Father  of  his  Country." 

History  has  assigned  him  a  high  position  among  her  noble  names,  and 
delights  to  point  to  him  as  a  revolutionary  leader,  against  whom  the  le^ast  act 
of  wrong  has  never  been  alleged.  Such  was  the  man  around  whose  name 
crystallizes  the  noble  deeds  of  the  Revolution  in  America.  The  life  of  this 
man  has  been  so  interwoven  into  the  history  of  the  nation,  as  to  form  a  large 
part  of  it. 

JOHN  HANCOCK. 

This  man  was  President  of  the  Congress  which  passed  the  "  Declaration 
of  Independence,"  and  his  bold  autograph  stands  at  the  head  of  the  names 
which  are  signed  to  that  immortal  bill  of  rights.  It  is  a  bold  defiance  to  'he 
home  government,  and  flaunted  like  the  battle-flag  of  freedom,  it  stands  at 
the  head  of  the  list  of  noted  names,  in  its  vigorous  strength  a  type  of  the 
man  whose  courage  and  undaunted  power  of  will  moved  the  pen  which 
aiTixed  it  there  in  distinct  characters  for  future  generations  to  read,  as  he  said 
King  George  could  do,  "  without  spectacles."  He  was  born  at  Braintree, 
Massachusetts,  in  1737,  and  received  a  collegiate  education  at  Harvard,  after 
which  he  became  a  clerk  to  his  uncle,  and  at  the  death  of  the  latter  inherited 
his  great  wealth.  He  was  the  most  wealthy  and  the  most  popular  of  all  the 
leaders  during  the  Revolutionary  struggle  in  Massachusetts.  He  began  his 
public  career  quite  early  in  life,  and  was  President  of  the  first  Provincial 
Congress  which  met,  independent  of  royal  authority,  in  Salem,  Massachusetts, 
in  October,  1774;  also  at  the  Continental  Congress  of  1776. 

June  loth,  1775,  General  Gage  commanding  the  British  forces  in  Boston, 
issued  his  proclamation  declaring  the  colonists  rebels  and  traitors,  but  offering 
pardon  to  all  who  would  give  up  their  arms  and  take  the  oath  of  loyalty  to 
the  king,  except  John  Hancock  and  Samuel  Adams,  whom  he  proposed 
to  send  to  England  to  be  hanged. 

He  was  a  staunch  patriot,  and  did  much  throughout  the  struggle  to  aid 
the  army  and  supply  provisions  and  equipments.  He  was  Major  General  of 
the  Massachusetts  militia,  and  was  sadly  disappointed  that  he  was  not  chosen 
Commander-in-Chief  of  the  Continental  forces.  But  foi  all  this,  he  did  not 
desert  the  Colonies,  but  gave  his  services  and  his  money  to  his  country 
without  stint,  and  was  unswerving  in  his  loyalty  to  the  American  cause. 

John  Hancock  was  Governor  of  Massachusetts  after  the  war,  and  died  in 
in  1793,  honored  and  respected  by  all.  He  was  buried  in  the  old  Granary 
burying-ground,  in  Boston,  where  lies  the  dust  of  many  of  Massachusetts' 
noble  dead. 


1782] 


THE  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


243 


BENJAMIN  FRANKLIN. 

When  lieorge  Washington  was  passing  his  boyhood  at  Mount  Vernon, 

there  was  a  young  man  at  Philadelphia  who  was  modestly  toiling  to  gain  a 

livelihood.     He  was  a  printer,  publisher,  stationer,  and  kept  a  store  for  the 

sale  of  sundry  articles.     He  became  a  thriving  man,  and  by  his  simple  habits, 

genial  disposition,  and  pure  character  won  the  esteem  of  his  fellow  citizens. 

More  than  this,  he  was  a  popular  writer,  and  a  studious  gentleman,  whose 

name  would  afterwards  be  sounded  over  the  world  as  a  great  philosopher. 

He  would  demonstrate  to  the  savans  of  Europe  that  electricity  and  lightning 

were  the    same,    and    give    the    scientific    world   a    proof   that    there    are 

investigators  and  original  thinkers  among  the  rude  people  of  the  west.     But 

he  was  more  than  this  even,  he  was  a  patriot  and  statesman  who  would  be  an 

invaluable  assistant  to  the  generals  in  the  field.      This  man  was  Benjamin 

Franklin,  the  printer,  the  economist,  the  philosopher,  the  patriot  and  the 

statesman.      He  was  born   in   Boston,    January    17th,     1706,    of    humble 

parentage.     He  was  apprenticed  to  his  brother  to  the  trade  of  a  printer,  but 

set  out  at  the  age  of  seventeen  to  seek  his  fortunes  in  Philadelphia,  without 

money   or  friends.    In    1729  he  established    a  newspaper,   and   began   the 

publication  of  Poor  Richard's  Almanac  in    1732.      He  established  the  free 

library  of  Philadelphia.     He  was  appointed  Deputy  Postmaster  General  of 

the  American  Colonies  in  1753,  a  year  after  he  had  astonished  the  world  with 

his  scientific  discoveries.     In   1764  he  was  sent  to  Parliament  as  a  delegate 

from  the  Colonies  to  protest  against  the  obnoxious  Stamp  Act,  and  after 

being  examined  before  a  committee  of  the  House  of  Commons  where  he 

acquitted  himself  with  remarkable  ability,  he  returned  home.     He  was  chosen 

a  member  of  the  second  Continental  Congress  in  1775,  and  the  next  year  was 

a  member  of  the  committee  which  framed  the  Declaration  of  Independence. 

Franklin,  very  early  in  the  contest,  agitated  the  separation  of  the  Colonies 

from  England,  and  took  a  prominent  part  in  all  the  councils  of  that  eventful 

period.     In  1776  he  was  sent  as  the  first   ambassador  to  the  fashionable  court 

of  France,  where  the  good  sense  and  simple  manners  of  the  old  printer  gained 

the  favor  of  the  French.     He  succeeded  in  effecting  a  treaty  between  the  two 

governments  which  was  signed  at  Paris,  February  6th,  1778.     He  lived  to  a 

ripe  old  age,  assisted  in  framing  the  Constitution,  and  was  the  instrument  of 

forming  the  treaty  of  peace  with  England  in  1782.     He  died  in  1790  and  was 

buried  at  Philadelphia. 

ISRAEL  PUTNAM. 

The  hero  of  Connecticut,  who  did  much  to  arouse  the  zeal  of  the  United 
Colonies  of  Connecticut  and  New  Haven,  deserves  more  than  a  passing 
notice.  He  had  taken  an  active  and  honorable  part  in  the  early  Indian  and 
French  wars,  and  was  Major  General  of  the  Connecticut  troops  at  the 
outbreak  of  the  Revolution.  In  his  wars  with  the  Indians  he  had  been  taken 
prisoner,  and  at  one  time  was  bound  to  the  stake  to  be  tormented  by  having 
the  savages  toss  their  tomahawks  at  him  with  such  dexterity  as  not  to  cut  him 


i :  ■^■'  '.V,i 


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244 


THE  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


[1775 


with  them,  but  he  had  been  rescued  by  an  unexpected  deliverance.  He 
had  onee  engaged  with  a  wolf  alone  in  a  den,  and  by  his  coolness  and  bravery 
in  many  exploits  had  won  the  esteem  and  respect  of  his  fellow  citizens.  He 
was  a  true  patriot,  and  a  stern  disciplinarian.  After  the  battles  of  Concoid 
and  Lexington  had  stirred  the  people  of  Massachusetts  to  deeds  of  valor,  th" 
tidings  came  to  Putnam,  as  he  was  ploughing  on  his  Connecticut  farm  Hv. 
unyoked  his  oxen,  sent  word  to  his  family  that  he  had  started  for  Bostoh, 
mounted  his  horse  and  rode  off  to  join  the  patriots  in  their  noble  defences. 
He  was  conspicuous  for  bravery  at  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill,  and  rallied  the 
militia  who  turned  to  run.  Some  years  after  this,  he  stood  up  in  the  church 
of  which  he  was  a  member  to  answer  to  the  sin  of  swearing  on  this  occasion, 
and  partially  justified  himself  by  saying  that  "  it  was  almost  enough  to  make 
an  angel  swear  to  see  the  cowards  refuse  to  secure  a  victory  so  nearly  won." 

Putnam  was  born  at  Salem,  Massachusetts,  in  171 8,  and  emigrated  to 
eastern  Connecticut  in  early  life.  He  was  conspicuous  in  all  the  exploits  with 
the  Indians  of  that  period  and  regarded  as  a  brave  and  fearless  man.  In 
1778,  he  was  commissioned  as  a  Major  General  of  the  Continental  army.  He 
was  in  command  of  the  army  at  New  York  Highlands,  and  superintended  the 
erection  of  the  fortifications  at  West  Point  on  the  Hudson.  He  died  in  1790, 
at  the  age  of  seventy-two. 

PATRICK  HENRY,  THE  ORATOR. 

'HIS  man,  who  was  a  perfect  Boanerges  (son  of  thunder) 
at  the  outset  of  the  Revolution,  was  also  a  native  ol 
Virginia,  where  he  was  born  in  Hanover  county,  in  1736 
It  is  said  that  he  was  stupid  as  a  scholar,  and  indolent  in 
his  habits  during  his  youth,  and  gave  no  promise  of  the 
great  power  he  possessed  as  a  thinker  and  orator.  His 
remarkable  eloquence  first  broke  out  when  he  was 
twenty-seven,  and  his  reputation  as  an  orator  spread  over  his 
native  state  after  this.  He  was  the  first  Governor  of  Virginia 
elected  by  the  people,  and  served  in  that  office  for  two  terms. 
He  was  the  first  of  all  the  public  speakers  of  America  to  hurl 
down  the  gauntlet  of  defiance  to  the  English.  In  the  year 
1763,  he  introduced  into  the  house  of  Burgesses,  of  Virginia,  of 
which  he  was  a  member,  a  series  of  resolutions  highly  tinctured 
with  treason.  They  boldly  maintained  the  doctrine  that  all  the 
Colonies,  and  especially  Virginia,  alone  had  the  right  to  impose 
taxes  upon  the  people  of  that  province,  and  they  were  not 
bound  to  obey  any  law  in  reference  to  taxation  which  did  not  proceed  from 
their  own  representatives.  The  last  resolution  declared  that  whoever 
dissented  from  the  opinions  set  forth  in  the  resolutions  preceding,  was  an 
enemy  to  the  Colonies. 

He  supported  them  with  all  the  power  of  his  matchless  eloquence.  In 
the   midst   of    this  memorable  speech,  when   the  impassioned  orator  had 


il 


1782] 


THE  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


US 


exclaimed,  "Cxsar  had  his  Brutus;  Charles  the  Fir^t  his  Cromwell,  and 
George  the  Third — "  "  Treason !  Treason ! "  cried  a  voice  from  the  gallery — 
" may  profit  by  their  example.  //  that  is  treason^  make  the  most  of  it" 
fmished  Henry.  He  was  a  member  of  the  first  Continental  Congress,  as  we 
have  seen.  The  members  sat  silent  in  the  assembly  which  gathered  in 
Carpenter's  Hall  on  that  memorable  day,  the  fifth  of  September,  1774.  Not  a 
voice  broke  the  silence,  and  deep  anxiety  sat  on  every  face.  All  at  once  a 
grave  looking  man  in  a  suit  of  minister's  gray  arose,  and  poured  forth  a 
torrent  of  eloquence  in  a  sweet  musical  voice  which  stirred  the  hearts  of  all. 
'Who  is  he?"  was  whispered  from  lip  to  lip.  The  few  who  knew  him 
answered  "  Patrick  Henry,  of  Virginia."  There  was  no  longer  any  hesitation 
in  the  Congress,  and  the  deliberations  of  that  body  went  on  to  the  end.  His 
eloquence  was  of  a  high  character,  and  impassioned  in  its  style.  In  the 
Virginia  House  of  Burgesses,  on  the  23d  day  of  March,  1775,  before  the  battle 
of  Concord  and  Lexington,  he  again  aroused  the  enthusiasm  of  his  fellow 
delegates  in  a  patriotic  speech,  which  has  been  published  in  nearly  every 
school  reader  since  that  time,  and  ended  with  the  sentence  which  became  the 
rallying  cry  of  the  Revolution,  "  GIVE  ME  LIBERTY,  OR  GIVE  ME  DEATH." 
Twenty-six  days  after  this,  Governor  Dunmore  seized  and  conveyed  on  board 
the  British  man-of-war  a  quantity  of  gunpowder  belonging  to  the  Colony  of 
Virginia.  The  enraged  citizens  compelled  him  to  leave  his  palace  at  Williams- 
burg, and  flee  for  his  life  on  board  of  the  same  vessel.  In  October  of  the 
same  year,  the  deposed  governor  landed  with  regular  troops  to  punish  the 
Colony  and  seize  the  town  of  Hampton,  near  Old  Point  Comfort.  Patrick 
Henry  at  the  head  of  the  militia  defeated  him,  and  compelled  him  to  pay 
for  the  gunpowder  he  had  taken  away  the  June  before.  His  regiment  carried 
the  first  known  American  flag  in  this  engagement,  with  the  words  "  LIBERTY 
OR  Death  "  and  the  picture  of  a  coiled  serpent  under  which  were  the  words, 
^^  Don't  tread  on  me." 

The  soldiers  were  clad  in  green  hunting  shirts,  with  the  words  "  Liberty 
OR  Death  "  printed  across  the  bosom.  They  wore  hats  with  long  bucks' 
tails  trailing  behind,  and  a  belt  with  tomahawks  and  scalping  knives  stuck  in 
them,  and  made  a  formidable  appearance  as  they  marched  through  the 
province.    We  will  find  the  mention  of  Patrick  Henry  as  we  proceed  further 

in  the  history. 

SAMUEL  ADAMS. 

This  man  was  the  true  leader  in  the  city  of  Boston  during  the  excitement 
of  the  Stamp  Act  and  the  destruction  of  the  tea.  He  was  then  a  man  of 
middle  age,  well  educated  and  with  a  stainless  reputation.  He  was  a  most 
powerful  speaker  and  writer ; — a  man  who  gathered  his  adherents  by  his 
eloquence,  and  held  them  by  his  wonderful  power  of  persuasion  and 
argument.  He  was  a  type  of  the  old  Puritan  family  from  which  he  was 
descended,  having  been  born  in  Boston,  in  1732.  His  fellow  citizens  felt  the 
power  of  his  resolute  will,  and  gladly  followed  when  he  led  the  way  for  them. 
The  English  rightly  regarded  him  as  a  leader  of  the  rebellion ;   for  when  they 


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346 


THE  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


[1782 


sent  a  proclamation  to  New  England  offering  general  amnesty  to  all  who 
would  lay  down  their  arms  and  return  to  their  allegiance  to  the  crown, 
Samuel  Adams  and  John  Hancock  were  the  only  men  who  were  exempt  from 
the  provision  of  pardon. 

The  keen  foresight  of  this  man  took  in  the  situation  at  a  glance,  and  saw 
from  the  first  that  there  could  be  no  halt  for  the  Colonies  until  a  complete 
separation  from  the  old  country  was  effected.  His  strength  of  argument  and 
powerful  eloquence  in  the  General  Court  and  before  the  people,  did  much  to 
mould  the  action  and  direct  the  thoughts  of  the  patriots  of  this  stormy  time. 
There  can  be  no  doubt  that  he  was  the  leader  in  more  than  one  encounter  of 
the  people  with  the  soldiers  before  the  battle  of  Lexington,  and  he  was 
responsible  for  the  destruction  of  the  tea  in  Boston  harbor.  He  seemed  eager 
to  incite  the  Colony  to  open  rebellion,  and  was  delighted  with  the  news  of  the 
conflict  at  Concord  and  Lexington. 

At  the  assembly  of  the  representatives  of  Massachusetts,  in  Salem,  which 
sent  out  the  invitation  that  resulted  in  the  first  General  Congress,  they 
provided  for  a  plan  of  union  between  the  Colonics,  raised  munitions  of  war 
and  formed  a  league  of  non-intercourse  with  England.  General  Gage  sent  his 
own  secretary  to  dissolve  the  Assembly,  but  the  door  of  the  chamber  was 
locked  and  Samuel  Adams  had  the  key  in  his  pocket.  He  was  one  of  the 
signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  and  afterward  governor  o( 
Massachusetts.  He  was  a  tr-e  man,  a  noble  patriot,  a  born  leader  of  the 
people,  and  in  the  hours  which  tried  men's  souls  he  was  brave,  undaunted 
and  heroic. 

The  unflinching  advocate  of  liberty,  he  was  the  first  to  pledge  "  his  life, 
his  fortune  and  his  sacred  honor,"  to  the  cause  he  loved,  and  his  countrymen 
loved  to  do  him  honor.     He  died  in  1803. 

There  are  many  other  illustrious  names  of  this  period.  General  Warren, 
who  fell  at  Bunker  Hill,  Henry  Knox,  the  warm  friend  of  Washington, 
General  Gates  and  a  host  of  noble  men,  heroes  all  of  them ;  but  we  must 
hasten  on  with  our  history,  and  let  their  heroic  deeds  speak  their  praise  in 
more  eloquent  terms  than  words  can  proclaim. 


';;5] 


THE  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


24; 


BATTLE  OF  BUNKER  HILL,  AND  SIEGE  OF  BOSTON. 


E  will  resume  the  line  of   history  at  the  point  where 

we   left    off:    the    return   of    the   discomfited   British 

troops  from  their  ill-fated  expedition  to  Concord  anil 

Lexington.      The    initial    blow   for   liberty   had    been 

struck,  and  it  was  appalling  to  friends  and  foes  alike. 

The  people  were  thoroughly  aroused  all  over  the  land. 

General  Gage  had  issued  his  proclamation  of  which  we 

have  spoken. 

Minute  men  were  pouring  from  all  parts  of   the  country,  and 

the   other   Colonies     heartily   espoused    the   cause   of    their   sister, 

Massachusetts.     The  ministry  of  the  crown  had  cut  off  the  Colonics 

from  protection,  exempting  New  York,  Delaware  and  North  Carolina, 

but  these  Colonies  had  spurned  the  offer  and  united  with   the  others 

in  a  common  cause.     The  news  spread   like  wild-fire  that  patriotic 

blood  had  been  shed,  and  already  American  freedom  could  boast  of 

her  martyrs.     Mounted  couriers  were  galloping  in  hot  haste  all  over 

the  Colonies  to  carry  the  tidings  of  Lexington.     "  The  war  has  begun  !  "  was 

shouted  in  market-place  and  by  the  press.     And  all  true  men  saw  that  the 

time  to  lay  aside  the  avocations  of  peace,  and  gird  themselves  for  the  contest, 

had  arrived.      In   her  great  eagerness.    North   Carolina  threw  off   the   new 

allegiance  to  the  crown  and  established  her  Colony  into  military  companies. 

Georgia  sent  gifts  of   money  and  rice  with  cheering  letters  to  the  patriots  of 

the  North.     There  was  a  general  rush  to  arms  in  Virginia,   under  the  arousing 

influence  of    the  orator,   Patrick   Henry.     From   every  town  and  hamlet  of 

New    England   men   were    rushing   to    Boston.      This   city   could   be   easily 

blockaded.      Two  narrow  necks  of   land  joined  the  peninsula  to  the  main 

land ;  one  was  called  Boston  neck,    and  the  other  Charlestown  neck.    Three 

thnimnnd  '''itish  soldiers  were  quickly  hemmed  in  within  the  city,  and  still 

orA       ige  did  not  move.     The  New  England  yeomanry  were  pouring  into 

f  the  blockaders,  undisciplined  and  ununiformed.     The  regulars  of 

Enj.      '1  army  mocked  them  as  "a  rabble  with  calico  frocks  and  fowling- 

ces."     But  they  were  free  Anglo-Saxons  with  arms  in  their  hands  and  a 

trong  purpose  in  their  hearts.     It  was  unwise  to  despise  such  men. 

A  number  of  aggressive  movements  were  undertaken  by  volunteers 
against  forts  and  g  isons,  which  were  successful  from  their  very  boldness  and 
unexpectedness.  nong  the  most  important  of  these,  was  the  taking  of 
Ticonderoga  ai  Jrown  Point,  on  Lake  Champlain  by  the  troops  of 
Connecticut  and  -rmont.  On  the  morning  of  the  loth  of  May,  1775, 
Colonel  Ethan  All  n  and  the  Green  Mountain  Boys  appeared  in  the  vicinity 
of  Fort  Ticonderoga.     It  seems  that  there  were  two  independent  expeditions 


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248 


THE  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


[1782 


ignorant  of  the  purpose  of  each  other.  The  Colony  of  Massachusetts  had 
given  Benedict  Arnold  a  commission  as  Colonel,  and  ordered  him  to  raise  a 
force  of  four  hundred  men  to  reduce  the  two  forts.  Connecticut  lent 
eighteen  hundred  dollars  to  aid  the  enterprise,  and  ammunition  was  purchased 
which,  as  vs  shall  see,  was  not  expended  for  that  purpose.  The  Connecticut 
men  were  first  in  the  field,  and  went  to  Vermont  and  offered  the  command  to 
Ethan  Allen.  He  was  a  bold,  rough  man  who  had  made  himself  conspicuous 
by  his  resistance  to  the  royal  governor  of  New  York,  who  attempted  to  take 
possession  of  Vermont.  While  the  troops  were  concentrating  at  the  rendezvous 
at  Castleton,  Arnold  came  up  with  his  Massachusetts  commission.  He  was 
allowed  to  join  the  army,  but  Allen  was  put  in  command.  The  first  thing  to 
be  done  was  to  obtain  information  of  the  condition  of  the  fort.  Captain 
Noah  Phelps,  of  Connecticut,  dressed  as  a  farmer,  went  to  the  fort  to  get 
shaved,  as  he  claimed  he  thought  he  could  find  a  barber  there.  He  obtained 
the  information  wanted  and  returned  to  the  camp. 

On  the  evening  of  May  9th,  the  force  of  Green  Mountain  Boys  were 
ready  to  embark  in  the  only  boat  that  could  be  procured ;  but  eighty-three 
men  could  cross  at  the  same  time.  The  two  colonels  went  over  in  the  first 
boat.  When  across  the  river,  Allen  could  not  wait  for  more  men  and  under- 
took the  capture  of  the  fort  at  once.  A  young  lad  narp.cd  Nathan  Benean,  led 
them  to  the  fort.  The  sentry  was  captured,  and  the  little  force  of  eighty-three 
men  took  possession  of  the  fort  without  firing  a  shot.  The  ofificers  were  asleep 
in  their  quarters  when  a  terrified  soldier  pointed  out  the  door  of  the  com- 
manding officer.  Colonel  Allen  cried  out  *'  Come  forth  instantly  or  I  will 
sacrifice  the  whole  garrison !  "  Captain  Delaplace,  the  English  officer,  had  no 
time  to  dress  and  came  out  of  his  room  as  he  was.  "  Deliver  this  fort, 
instantly ! "  said  Allen.  "  By  what  authority  ?  "  asked  the  British  captain. 
"  In  the  name  of  the  great  Jehovah  and  the  Continental  Congress,"  replied 
the  patriot.  So  he  was  compelled  to  surrender  his  fortress  before  he  had 
learned  that  the  war  had  actually  begun.  At  once  the  men  were  paraded 
without  arms,  and  the  Americans  obtained  two  hundred  cannon,  and  a  large 
stock  of  ammunition  without  a  blow  Two  days  afterward.  Colonel  Seth 
Warren  proceeded  to  capture  Ciov/n  Point,  which  surrendered  almost  as  easily 
as  Ticonderoga,  and  then  an  armed  sloop  was  taken  on  the  lake.  This  gave 
the  patriots  complete  control  of  Lake  Champlain,  and  was  of  immense 
advantage  to  the  Colonists. 

Provincial  Congresses  had  been  held  in  many  of  the  Colonies  and  before 
the  summer  was  gone  every  one  had  thrown  off  the  authority  of  England. 

The  second  Continental  Congress  met  at  Philadelphia  on  the  very  day 
that  Allen  had  taken  Ticonderoga,  and  voted  a  very  conciliatory  and  open- 
handed  address  to  King  George,  but  not  to  be  too  late,  they  at  the  same  time 
took  measures  to  organize  the  Continental  army,  appoint  a  commander  and 
general  officers,  and  raise  money  for  the  war.  The  Provincial  Congress  of 
Massachusetts  appointed  a  committee  of  safety.  May  19,  1775,  sitting  at 
Cambridge,  with  full  powers  to  regulate  the  army  of  the  province.     Artemas 


1775] 


THE  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


249 


Ward  was  appointed  Commander-in  chief.     Israel  Putnam,  John  Stark,  and 
other  heroes  of  the  French  war  were  appointed  to  important  commands. 

On  the  25th  of  May,  six  English  men-of-war  sailed  into  Boston  Harbor 
and  it  was  rumored  that  reinforcements  of  troops  with  generals  Howe, 
Burgoyne  and  Clinton,  the  best  generals  in  the  English  army,  were  in  these 
vessels. 

Gage  now  thought  himself  able  to  meet  the  undisciplined  militia  besieging 
him  around  Boston,  but  the  Colonists  did  not  permit  him  to  choose  his  time 
and  place  for  the  first  engagement.  On  the  Charleston  peninsula  there  are 
two  hills  in  easy  gun-shot  of  Boston,  Bunker  Hill  and  Breed's  Hill.  In  a 
council  of  war  it  was  decided  to  seize  and  fortify  one  of  these  hills  and 
prepare  for  the  onset  of  the  English.  The  rumor  came  that  Gagie  intended 
to  occupy  these  hillo,  and  fortify  them  on  the  morning  of  the  eighteenth  of 
June.  Not  a  moment  was  to  be  lost ;  on  the  evening  of  the  sixteenth  a  band 
of  twelve  hundred  Americans  under  Colonel  Prescott,  accompanied  by 
General  Putnam,  were  mustered  on  Cambridge  Common  for  special  duty. 

Prayers  were  said  and  they  marched  away  in  silence,  not  knowing  where 
they  were  to  go.  The  men  only  knew  that  they  were  marching  to  battle,  and 
some  to  death.  They  passed  under  the  very  guns  of  the  British  ships  and 
reached  the  hillside  undiscovered  by  their  enemy.  A  lovely  June  night, 
warm  and  still,  was  upon  them.  Across  the  Charles  river  now  slept  the 
unsuspecting  foe.  Swiftly  and  carefully  they  labored  to  throw  up  a  breast- 
work and  build  rifle  pits  on  the  hill.  When  the  morning  came  Gage  saw  a 
long  line  of  intrenchments  and  armed  men  behind  them,  where  the  day 
before  the  untrodden  grass  waved  in  the  summer  air.  He  looked  through 
his  field  glass  and  saw  the  tall  figure  of  Colonel  Prescott.  "Will  he  fight?" 
asked  the  English  general.  "  Yes  sir,"  said  a  bystander,  "  to  the  last  drop  of 
his  blood ! " 

A  simple  plan  of  attack  was  agreed  upon.  The  Continentals  could  nevei 
sustain  the  shock  of  regular  troops,  so  an  attacking  column  was  sent  straight 
up  the  hill  to  make  an  assault  on  the  works  in  front. 

Reinforcements  were  coming  to  the  Americans ;  they  were  supplied  with 
I  gill  of  powder  and  fifteen  balls  each.  To  obtain  even  this  small  supply 
the  balls  were  run  from  the  organ-pipes  of  the  Episcopal  church  at 
Cambridge.  At  noon  the  English  crossed  the  river,  halted  for  rations, 
and  the  men  from  their  earth-works  could  see  and  hear  them.  The 
bright  uniforms  and  glistening  bayonets  of  their  foes  did  not  deter  them 
from  their  noble  purpose.  From  church  steeple  and  house  top,  from  all 
the  surrounding  cities,  there  were  eager  spectators  watching  the  event  of 
battle.  The  well  trained  soldiers  of  England  had  no  easy  task.  They 
marched  up  the  hill  upon  that  hot  summer's  day  through  the  tall  grass 
with  their  heavy  knapsacks  and  equipments,  weighing  one  hundred  and 
twenty  pounds  per  man.  When  they  were  more  than  a  musket  shot 
distant  they  fired  a  harmless  volley  at  the  patriots.  "  Aim  low,"  shouted 
Putnam  to   his  men,  "  and  wait  till  you  can  see  the  white  of  their  eyes." 


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250 


THE  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


[1782 


Nearer  and  nearer  the  solid  line  of  red-coats  came  vr  to  the  breastworks. 
At  last  the  word  is  given  to  fire,  and  the  American  sharp-shooters  made  every 
shot  tell  with  deadly  effect.  The  English  line  recoiled.  Once  more  they 
advanced  to  the  very  breastwork  to  receive  a  murderous  fire  from  the  patri- 
ots, and  again  sustain  a  bloody  repulse.  Now  they  throw  off  their  knap- 
sacks and  great-coats,  and  come  up  again  to  the  assault.  They  are  resolute 
this  time  and  will  end  the  fight  with  the  bayonet.  The  Americans  have  spent 
their  little  stock  of  ammunition  and  can  give  the  red-coats  only  a  single 
volley.  They  have  no  bayonets,  and  for  a  little  time  fight  hand  to  hand 
with  their  clubbed  muskets,  but  are  soon  driven  out  of  their  works  and 
flee  to  Cambridge  under  the  galling  fire  of  the  English  ships.  The  English 
had  doubtless  won  the  day,  but  some  things  had  been  gained ;  it  had  been 
demonstrated  that  American  freemen  could  contend  with  the  disciplined 
soldiers  in  a  fair  stand-up  fight.  Henceforth  the  success  of  the  Revolution 
was  a  foregone  conclusion.  George  Washington  exclaimed  when  he  heard  ol 
this  battle,  "  Thank  God  !  the  liberties  of  the  country  are  safe." 

The  loss  of  the  English  in  this  engagement  was  nearly  eleven  hundred, 
and  of  the  Americans  five  hundred,  yet  as  the  English  obtained  the  works  they 
regarded  it  as  a  victory.  The  Americans  who  had  up  to  this  time  taken  up 
arms  and  fought  the  English  troops,  had  done  so  without  any  form  of  authority, 
and  no  responsible  body  or  legislature  had  recognized  or  employed  them. 
They  were  without  a  commander,  and  had  no  supplies  of  any  kind.  Their 
friends  at  home  wove  and  spun  to  send  them  clothing  and  blankets,  and  the 
neighboring  citizens  fed  them  as  best  they  could. 

The  second  Continental  Congress  appointed  George  Washington  of 
Virginia,  the  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  Continental  Army  on  the  15th  day 
of  June,  1775,  and  shortly  after  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill,  adopted  the 
incongruous  assembly  of  men  at  Cambridge  as  "the  army."  Washington 
hastened  to  join  the  army  before  Boston,  and  assumed  command  under  a 
grand  old  elm  in  Cambridge.  Their  condition  was  a  sad  one.  They  were 
without  any  ammunition ;  only  nine  rounds  for  each  man  in  the  ranks.  They 
could  not  use  their  artillery  and  their  rude  and  irregular  fortifications  stretched 
for  eight  or  nine  miles.  The  provincials  were  not  soldiers  enough  to  know 
how  weak  they  really  were.  Any  moment  the  English  might  break  their 
feeble  lines  and  hurl  them  back  in  utter  confusion. 

Washington  saw  the  peril,  but  he  was  powerless.  There  was  an  army  of 
ten  thousand  well-trained  soldiers  in  Boston.  A  noble  body  of  men,  but 
fortunately  for  the  Americans  led  by  incompetent  generals.  Gage  quietly 
endured  the  siege  without  making  a  move.  SmaU-pox  broke  out  in  his  army 
and  did  fearful  havoc.  They  were  poorly  supplied  by  the  fleet,  and  had  to 
destroy  the  very  houses  for  fuel. 

Gage  was  recalled  by  an  angry  ministry,  and  quitted  Boston  in  disgrace. 
General  Howe  was  to  succeed  him.  Washington  was  at  times  almost  in 
despair.  His  men  had  enlisted  for  three  months,  and  they  found  that  a 
.soldier's  life  was  a  hard  one,  that  even  their  patriotism  could  not  endure.    The 


1775] 


THE  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


25' 


general  was  a  strict  disciplinarian  and  would  be  obeyed.  When  January,  1776, 
arrived,  he  found  himself  with  a  new  army  much  reduced  in  size,  and  he  had 
to  begin  the  weary  process  of  drill  and  organization  over  again.  He  knew 
that  Howe  was  informed  of  his  condition,  and  he  was  constantly  looking 
out  for  an  attack.  In  February,  Congress  sent  him  a  liberal  supply  of  arms 
and  ammunition.  Ten  regiments  of  militia  were  added  to  his  little  army  and 
lie  began  to  feel  that  he  could  make  a  move. 

The  heights  of  Dorchester  lay  to  the  south  of  Boston,  and  if  he  could 
secure  and  hold  this  position  he  would  be  able  to  drive  the  British  out  of  the 
city.  He  settled  upon  the  night  of  the  4th  of  March  for  the  undertaking. 
He  kept  the  attention  of  the  enemy  by  a  constant  discharge  of  artillery,  while 
he  sent  a  strong  party  of  men  to  Dorchester  to  throw  up  a  line  of  works. 
Huge  wagons  loaded  with  bales  of  pressed  hay  were  driven  there  to  form 
breast  works  for  the  men,  who  could  not  dig  rapidly  in  the  frozen  ground. 
The  men  worked  with  such  energy  that  when  morning  came  they  had  fashioned 
the  bales  of  hay  into  redoubts  and  fortifications  of  quite  a  formidable 
appearance.  In  the  morning  General  Howe  peering  with  his  glass  through 
the  fog,  saw  the  works  and  said,  "  The  rebels  have  done  more  work  in  one 
night  than  my  whole  army  would  have  done  in  a  month."  Howe  prepared  an 
expedition  to  cross  to  Dorchester  and  fight  the  patriots,  but  for  two  days  a 
fearful  easterly  storm  raged  that  scattered  his  transports,  and  on  the  third 
day  he  saw  that  the  Americans  had  made  the  heights ;  then  he  knew  that  it  was 
impossible  to  capture  them.  He  laid  aside  his  plans  of  battle  and  made 
preparations  to  evacuate  the  city.  Washington  might  have  t"ken  them  as 
prisoners  of  war,  but  he  could  not  care  for  them,  nor  could  the  Colonies  keep 
them  until  exchanged ;  so  he  gave  a  written  promise  that  he  would  not  hinder 
them  in  departing  from  the  city.  On  the  17th  of  March  not  a  British  soldier  was 
left  in  the  city  of  Boston,  and  five  thousand  of  the  joyous  Continentals  entered 
in  triumph.  Seven  thousand  soldiers,  four  thousand  seamen,  and  fifteen 
hundred  families  of  those  who  had  been  loyal  to  the  king,  sailed  for  Halifax. 

General  Israel  Putnam,  with  a  second  detachment  of  troops,  entered  the 
city  and  took  possession  in  the  name  of  the  Thirteen  Colonies. 

Washington  had  learned  that  Sir  Henry  Clinton  had  sailed  from  Boston 
with  his  troops  upon  a  secret  expedition  early  in  January,  1776,  and 
he  naturally  supposed  that  the  British  general  had  gone  to  New  York.  He 
at  once  ordered  one  of  his  generals,  Charles  Lee,  to  go  to  Connecticut, 
raise  troops  for  the  defense  of  that  city,  and  watch  Clinton  wherever  he 
might  attempt  to  land.  Six  weeks  before  the  evacuation  of  Boston,  Lcc 
had  twelve  hundred  troops  in  the  vicinity  of  New  York,  and  was  on  the  watch 
for  the  British. 

But  in  the  mean  time  the  citizens  of  New  York  had  committed  overt  acts 
of  treason  on  their  own  account.  They  had  seized  the  cannon  at  Fort 
George,  and  had  driven  the  royal  governor  on  board  of  an  English  ship.  In 
March,  Clinton  arrived  with  his  fleet  just  outside  of  Sandy  Hook,  and  the 
same  day,   L^ie,   not   knowing  where   the  English   were,  marched  into  the 


111 


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252 


THE  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


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city  and  took  possession.  Clinton,  foiled  in  this  attempt  to  obtain  New 
York,  sailed  to  the  southward.  Washington  had  not  heard  from  Lee  or 
Clinton,  and  as  soon  as  he  could  leave  Boston  he  pressed  on  to  aid  Lee  and 
find  Clinton,  also  thinking  that  Howe  would  sail  to  New  York.  He  arrived 
about  the  middle  of  April,  and  began  fortifying  the  city  and  the  Hudson 
Highlands  fifty  miles  above.  General  Charles  Lee  had  been  ordered  south  to 
assume  command,  and  Lord  Stirling,  an  American  citizen  of  New  York,  who 
espoused  the  patriot  cause,  but  was  of  Scotch  descent,  was  left  in  command. 
Lee  was  hastening  toward  the  Carolinas,  arousing  the  Whigs,  and  on  the 
lookout  for  the  English  General  Clinton. 

Clinton  had  been  joined  at  Cape  Fear  by  an  expedition  sent  out  from 
England  by  Admiral  Sir  Peter  Parker,  and  the  combined  fleet  appeared  off 
Charleston,  South  Carolina,  on  the  4th  of  June,  1776.  The  patriots  in  the 
South  were  aroused  and  had  defeated  an  army  of  loyalists  under  Colonel 
Caswell  of  over  fifteen  hundred,  early  in  the  spring  of  that  year.  When 
Governor  Rutledge  called  for  volunteers  they  rallied  all  over  the  State,  and 
six  thousand  well  armed  men  appeared  in  Charleston  to  repel  the  invaders. 
A  fort  of  palmetto  logs  and  sand  was  erected  on  Sullivan's  Island,  and 
twenty-six  cannon  were  mounted,  and  a  garrison  of  five  hundred  men 
stationed  there  under  Colonel  William  Moultrie.  The  British  made  a 
combined  attack  by  land  and  water  upon  this  island,  but  were  repelled  after  a 
persistent  battle  of  ten  hours.  Colonel  Thompson,  with  a  small  force  in  a 
battery,  held  the  advancing  land  forces  of  Clinton  at  bay,  while  the  fort 
poured  its  shot  and  shell  into  the  fleet.  At  night  the  crippled  and 
discomfited  fleet  sailed  away,  and  for  two  years  the  sound  of  British  guns  was 
not  heard  below  the  Potomac.  The  English  fleet  sailed  for  New  York,  June 
31st,  1776,  and  the  victory  of  the  patriots  of  South  Carolina  had  an  inspiring 
tffect  upon  all  the  colonists  throughout  the  country. 


1775]  THE  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  253 


THE  DECLARATION  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


FTER  these  months  of  fighting  there  were  those  wht. 
could  not  come  to  think  of  separation  from  the  homf 
government  but  with  pain.  Those  who  were  native 
Englishmen  could  not  but  love  the  land  of  their  birth, 
anJ  ir.any  were  slow  to  abandon  the  proud  title  of 
British  citizens.  The  Quakers  and  Moravians  were 
opposed  to  war  as  sinful,  and  great  numbers  thought  it 
was  useless  for  a  few  weak  colonies  to  measure  strength  against 
the  power  of  England.  There  was  long  and  anxious  discussion. 
The  land  was  flooded  with  pamphlets  and  papers  setting  forth  the 
oppression  of  the  home  government  and  the  grievances  of  the 
Colonies.  The  wisest  and  best  minds  of  the  age  were  agitating 
the  question  of  a  final  rupture,  because  they  saw  that  this  was  the 
only  course.  The  vast  weight  of  intelligence,  learning  and 
argument,  as  well  as  patriotism,  was  in  favor  of  this.  Among 
these,  a  man  who  wielded  a  powerful  pen,  and  aided  the  cause  with  the  full 
weight  of  his  influence  and  talent,  was  one  who  has  never  received  the 
full  amount  of  honor  due  him.  He  held  a  conspicuous  place  among  the  men 
of  his  time,  and  his  judgment  was  considered  of  importance  in  the  settlement 
of  serious  questions.  We  refer  to  Thomas  Paine,  the  infidel  thinker  and 
writer.  He  had  been  but  a  few  months  in  the  Colonies,  but  his  vigorous 
mind  was  enlisted  on  the  side  of  human  freedom.  He  wrote  a  pamphlet 
entitled  Common  Sense,  in  which  he  took  the  strong  ground  that  the 
Colonies  ought  to  be  free.  The  Continental  Congress  was  in  session,  and  the 
time  was  ripe  for  a  decision  of  this  question.  On  June  7th,  1776,  a 
resolution  was  introduced,  "  That  the  United  Colonies  are  and  ought  to  be 
free."  Some  opposed,  some  favored.  Pennsylvania  and  Delaware  had 
instructed  their  delegates  to  oppose  it,  for  the  Quakers  were  loyal  to  the  last. 
Seven  states  for,  and  six  against  this  resolution.  It  was  then  voted  that  the 
matter  be  deferred  two  or  three  weeks. 

On  the  4th  of  July,  the  Declaration  of  Independence  was  adopted  by  the 
thirteen  States,  by  the  unanimous  consent  of  all  the  delegates.  It  was  a  most 
remarkable  document,  setting  forth  the  wrongs  done  to  the  Colonies,  and 
portraying  the  character  of  George  the  King,  in  the  roughest  handling  he 
ever  received,  and  ending  with  these  wonderful  words,  "  and  finally  we  do 
assert  and  declare  these  Colonies  to  be  free  and  independent  States,  and  that 
as  free  and  independent  States  they  have  power  to  levy  war,  conclude  peace, 
contract  alliances,  establish  commerce,  and  do  all  other  acts  and  things  which 
independent  States  may  of  right  do,  and  for  the  support  of  this  declaration 
we  mutually  pledge  to  each  other  our  lives,  our  fortunes  and  our  sacred 


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254 


THE  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


[1782 


honor."    To  this  immortal  bill  of  rights  were  appended  the  names  of  the 
fifty-six  delegates  from  all  the  Colonies. 

»  This  document  is  preserved  in  the  hand  writing  of  Thomas  Jefferson,  the 
youngest  member  of  the  committee,  and  was  published  to  the  world,  July 
4th,  with  only  the  name  of  John  HancocI:  appended,  but  the  other  names 
were  signed  on  the  2nd  of  August,  all  but  two,  who  afiixed  their  names 
afterward. 

This  act  of  the  Congress  inspired  the  patriots  with  enthusiasm.  It  was 
read  by  order  of  General  Washington  at  the  head  of  each  regiment,  and  by 
the  ministers  in  their  pulpits  and  everywhere  in  posters  and  papers  from 
Maine  to  Georgia.  The  quarrel  must  now  be  fought  out  to  the  end,  and 
result  in  a  glorious  victory  for  freedom,  or  in  a  shameful  defeat.  Everywhere 
it  was  received  with  shouts  of  joy,  and  the  soldiers  in  New  York  pulled  down 
a  leaden  statue  of  King  George  and  sent  it  to  Litchfield,  Connecticut,  where 
the  governor's  wife  and  family  melted  it  and  run  it  into  bullets  to  kill  the 
king's  soldiers.  General  Washington  issued  orders  to  his  troops,  in  his 
customary  dignified  style,  in  which  he  said,  "  The  General  hopes  and  trusts 
that  every  officer  and  soldier  will  endeavor  so  to  live  and  act  as  becomes  a 
Christian  soldier  defending  the  dearest  rights  and  liberties  of  his  country." 

THE  PROGRESS  OF  THE  WAR. 

UST  after  the  publication  of  the  Declaration,  General  Howe, 
with  Clinton  and  a  large  force  of  troops,  made  up  mainly 
of  Hessians  hired  to  fight  from  some  petty  German  Prince, 
appeared  off  New  York.  These  Hessians  were  hired  at  so 
much  per  head  to  fight  in  any  war ;  and  their  employment 
was  a  scandal  to  Europe.  Frederick  the  Great  did  not 
hesitate  to  express  his  unmitigated  contempt  for  both 
parties  to  the  bargain  and  sale. 

The  British  army  was  now  twenty-five  thousand  men,  and 
Lord  Howe  had  brought  with  him  a  commission  to  pacify  the 
Colonies.  They  were  now  no  longer  Colonies  but  free  and 
independent  States.  So  when  General  Howe  invited  them  to 
lay  down  their  arms,  and  promised  them  a  free  pardon,  they 
replied  that  they  were  not  seeking  forgiveness  but  liberty. 

The  sword  must  be  the  arbiter  :iow.  The  British  landed 
upon  Staten  Island,  a  few  miles  from  New  York.  With  his 
fleet  he  could  hold  undisputed  possession  of  the  bay,  and  at  his  leisure  choose 
his  point  of  assault.  General  Putnam  was  sent  with  a  body  of  troops  to  take 
and  hold  the  heights  of  Brooklyn  which  commanded  the  city  of  New  York. 
Staten  Island  could  be  seen  from  the  heights  and  after  a  while  the  English 
were  observed  moving.  They  struck  their  tents,  marched  on  ship  board  and 
crossed  the  bay.     Putnam  marched  out  of  the  works  to  meet  the  enemy,  fof 


1775] 


THE  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


255 


Washington  did  not  hope  for  a  victory,  only  to  do  all  he  could  to  cripple 
them.  The  English  landed  ten  thousand  men,  in  three  divisions.  The  left 
division  under  General  Grant,  moved  along  the  shore  towards  Gowanus.  The 
right,  under  Clinton  and  Cornwallis,  toward  the  interior,  and  the  center, 
composed  of  Hessians,  under  De  Heister.  The  right  attacked  the  Americans, 
and  others  came  to  help  what  seemed  the  main  attack,  while  the  remaining 
column  of  British  cut  off  their  retreat,  and  the  center  closed  in  upon  them. 
Here  they  were  surrounded,  and  Howe  might  have  taken  them,  but  he  waited 
to  make  a  regular  siege.  Washington  silently  withdrew  his  forces  and 
returned  to  Now  York.  So  skillfully  was  this  done  that  the  last  boat  load 
had  left  the  shore  before  their  retreat  was  discovered  by  the  English. 
Washington  had  to  leave  New  York  to  its  fate,  and  marched  northward 
nine  miles  ;  but  the  English  fleet  followed  him  up  the  Hudson,  and  he  was 
forced  to  retire  to  New  Jersey.  The  English  again  followed  him  and  on 
the  way  stormed  a  fort  and  took  three  thousand  prisoners. 

Lord  Stirling  had  been  defeated  and  taken  prisoner.  General  Sullivan 
had  been  defeated,  and  General  Washington  was  fleeing  from  the  victorious 
enemy.  It  was  indeed  a  dark  time  for  the  American  cause.  Scarcely  four 
thousand  men  were  left  and  they  were  half  clad  and  dispirited  at  the 
defeats  they  had  suffered.  Thousands  of  their  comrades  had  been  killed,  or 
worse  than  death,  were  crowded  into  prison  ships  to  die  of  neglect  and 
starvation.  This  army  of  men,  without  blankets  or  shoes,  poorly  armed  and 
ill-fed,  were  a  strange  band  to  conquer  a  continent.  Washington  was  in  full 
retreat  to  Philadelphia,  and  the  British  had  possession  of  New  York  and 
Long  Island.  Again  the  English  general  issued  his  offers  of  pardon,  and 
many  of  the  rich  colonists  accepted  them  to  preserve  their  property.  The 
loyalists,  who  had  been  silenced  by  the  popular  u^)rising,  now  became 
clamorous  and  defiant.  The  terms  of  enlistment  of  the  militia  were  expiring, 
and  they  were  leaving  the  ranks,  and  the  Continentals  were  deserting  every 
day.  Newark,  New  Brunswick,  Trenton  and  Princeton  were  occupied  by  the 
British,  and  Washington  reached  the  banks  of  the  Delaware  river  with 
scarcely  three  thousand  men.  The  citizens  laughed  at  them  as  they  marched 
along  the  streets,  and  looked  with  dread  upon  the  well-fed  and  clothed 
soldiers  who  came  after  them.  So  near  was  the  vanguard  of  the  advancing 
British,  that  their  drums  could  be  distinctly  heard  by  the  rear  guard  of  the 
Continental  army.  And  often  the  men  engaged  in  destroying  bridges  behind 
the  Americans  would  see  the  head  of  the  column  of  the  enemy  before  they 
had  completed  their  work  of  destruction.  Washington  knew  the  desperate 
odds  against  him.  He  had  not  hoped  to  overcome  the  British  in  the  Eastern 
States,  but  he  resolved  to  do  what  he  could  with  such  an  army  as  his  country 
had  given  him.  When  he  crossed  the  Delaware  he  confiscated  and  took  all 
the  boats  he  could  find  for  seventy  miles  along  the  river.  Lord  Howe  waited 
on  the  eastern  bank  until  the  river  should  freeze  and  he  be  able  to  pass  over. 
Washington  strove  to  devise  a  plan  by  which  he  should  win  back  success  to 
his  cause.  • 


n-m 


•:.^i:«! 


=:;.  '  H 


rf?m 


256 


THE  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


[1782 


The  defeats  which  had  followed  each  other  so  rapidly  for  four  months 
had  caused  the  people  to  become  uneasy  and  dispirited.  The  short  terms 
of  enlistment  had  been  embarrassing  to  the  army,  and  the  increasing  activity 
of  the  tories,  as  the  loyalist  colonists  were  called,  all  had  a  disastrous  effect. 

The  winter  of  the  second  year  of  the  war  had  come,  and  the  British 
general  was  inactive ;  his  officers  and  men  were  enjoying  themselves  in  New 
Vork,  and  small  detachments  were  scattered  throughout  New  Jersey.  Ten 
miles  from  Philadelphia  was  the  city  of  Trenton,  held  by  a  considerable  force 
of  British  and  Hessians.  Washington  crossed  the  Delaware,  Christmas,  1776, 
in  the  intense  cold,  and  made  a  hurried  march  to  Trenton  to  surprise  the 
careless  army  there.  He  succeeded.  The  general  in  command  was  slain, 
and  the  troops  surrendered  at  discretion.  A  week  after  this  encounter,  three 
regiments  of  English  troops  came  to  Princeton,  on  their  way  to  retrieve  tlie 
defeat  of  their  companions.  While  they  were  resting  for  the  night, 
Washington  surprised  them  and  after  a  sharp  fight  defeated  them  with  heavy 
loss.  These  successes,  slight  as  they  seem,  revived  the  drooping  spirits  of 
the  patriots  and  restored  the  wavering  confidence  in  Washington,  which  after 
this  was  unbounded.  Congress  gave  him  unlimited  military  authority  for  six 
months.  They  also  decided  that  all  enlistments  thereafter  should  be  for  the 
war.  Thus  in  the  time  of  its  deepest  peril  the  infant  Republic  was  rescued 
from  its  danger  by  the  inconsiderable  victories  of  Trenton  and  Princeton. 

Thus  opened  the  third  ^'^ear  of  the  struggle  with  victory  and  enthusi. 
for  thei    Commander-in-Chief,  but  soon  the  hearts  of  the  colonists  were  to  be 
cheered  by  the  arrival  of  a  new  ally  to  freedom,  and  a  source  of  strength  that 
would  be  of  great  aid  to  them  in  their  contest  for  liberty  and  independence 


THE  FRENCH  AID  TO  THE  COLONIES. 


NEW  force  was  now  to  enter  into  this,  which  had  been 
up  to   this  time  an    unequal    contest.       France    had 
long  cherished   a  bitterness   toward    England   for  the 
loss    of    her    possessions    in    Canada,   caused    by  the 
defeat    at    Quebec.      She    had     fondly    hoped    that 
America  would  avenge  her  for  this  loss  by  throwing  off 
the  British  yoke.     She  had  more  than  once  despatched 
to  the  Colonies  a  secret  agent  to  encourage  their  good  will,  and 
since  the  troubles  with  the  mother  country  had  begun,  her  secret 
emissaries  had  been  at  work  among  them  to  offer  sympathy  and 
give  pledges  of  commercial  advantage.     It  was  safe  for  her  to 
foster  the  growing  dislike  of  England  in  America,  and  to  stir  up 
the  Americans  to  fit  out  privateers  to  prey  upon  British  commerce 
But  there  was  one  young  man  at  this  time  serving  in  the  French 
army,  whose  professions  of  friendship  for  America  were  not  all 
flattery  and  inspired  by  hatred  of  the  British.    This  man  was  a  young  French 


1775] 


THE  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


257 


nobleman  of  immense  fortune  and  strong  love  of  liberty.     He  was  less  than 

twenty,  and  had  first  heard  of  the  American  struggle  from  the  Duke  of 

Gloucester,    while    he    was    dining    with    some     French    officers.      That 

conversation  made  a  radical  change  in  the  young  man's  plans  for  the  future. 

Napoleon  said  that,  "  He  was  a  man  of  no  ability,"  while  Marie  Antoinette 

said  "  There  is  nothing  in  his  head  but  the  United  States."     He  had  the 

keenest  sympathy   with   the   cause   of  liberty   in    which    he    believed    the 

American  States  to  be  engaged,  and  no  sooner  had  he  become  satisfied  of 

this  than  he  was  ready  to  ally  himself  with  the  patriot  army.     He  had  just 

been  married  to  a  beautiful  lady  whom  he  left  in  France,  and  came  to  America 

in  a  ship  fitted  out  at  his  own   expense.     He  offered  his  services  to  the 

Continental  Congress  in  the  third  year  of  the  war,  when  the  cause  seemed  to 

be  at  its  lowest  ebb.      His  presence  awakened  the  courage  of  the  whole 

nation,  for  it  was  a  visible  proof  that  there  was  help  and  sympathy  for  them 

beyond  the  ocean.    America  has  given  this  impulsive,  generous  young  man  a 

high  place  in  her  affection.     The  Continental  Congress   gave   the  zealous 

French  youth  a  commission  as  Major  General,  July  31st,  1777,  and  three  days 

afterward  he  was  presented  to  General  Washington  at  a  public  dinner.     Here 

on  August  3rd,  two  men  met  for  the  first  time  whose  names  were  forever  after 

blended  in  grateful  remembrance  by  a  patriotic  people,  who  regard  them  as 

deserving  the  highest  love  of  the  nation.      George   Washington  the  plain 

untutored  Virginian  planter,  and  the  Marquis    de  Lafayette,    the    wealthy 

French  nobleman,  who  had  espoused  the  cause  of  the  feeble  Colonies  with  all 

his  heart.     Together  these  men  were  to  play  a  grand  and  noble  part  in  the 

Drama  of  Nations,  and  like  brothers  were  to  stand  side  by  side  through  the 

darkest  days  of  gloom  until  victory  should  crown  their  united  efforts  and  a 

free  people  should  sound  their  praises  from  the  lakes  to  the  gulf,  and  from 

the  sea  to  the  great   river.     The  Americans  have  delighted  to  do  honor  to 

the  first  and  most  faithful  ally  to  their  cause. 


I'V.' 


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•'■■■■I  'i'^-'-s     (IS 


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il 


258  -    THE  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


THE  CAMPAIGN  OF  1777  AND  1778. 


[1782 


E  have  left  Washington  after  his  victory  at  Princeton, 
in  January,  1777,  and  the  returning  enthusiasm  of  the 
patriots.  He  was  too  weak  to  attempt  the  capture  of 
the  large  amount  of  British  stores  at  New  Brunswick, 
and  therefore  he  hurriedly  retreated  to  Morristown, 
where  he  established  winter-quarters.  He  kept  up  his 
plan  of  harassing  the  enemy  until  at  the  opening  of 
spring  not  a  British  or  Hessian  soldier  was  left  in  New  Jersey  except 
at  New  Brunswick  and  Amboy.  No  general  movement  was  made 
by  either  army  until  the  first  of  June,  and  Washington  remained  in 
his  winter-quarters  till  the  last  of  May.  His  army  was  improvinj^ 
in  health  and  numbers,  in  discipline,  spirits  and  material.  A  feu- 
slight  movements  had  been  made  in  the  spring.  The  British  had 
made  an  expedition  up  the  Hudson  and  destroyed  some  stores, 
returning  the  same  night.  They  had  also  marched  from  the  Sound 
to  Danbury,  Connecticut,  destroyed  the  town,  fought  the  militia  under 
Generals  Wooster,  Sullivan"  and  Arnold.  The  first  had  been  killed,  the 
second  barely  escaped,  but  Sullivan  had  discomfited  and  harassed  them  all 
the  way  to  the  coast  and  inflicted  severe  injuries  upon  them  while  getting  on 
board  of  their  ships  at  Compo,  now  Westport,  Connecticut. 

May  22nd,  Colonel  Meigs  had  crossed  the  Sound  from  Guilford 
Connecticut,  attacked  the  English  garrison  at  Sag  Harbor,  Long  Island, 
burned  a  dozen  vessels,  destroyed  stores,  and  returned  the  next  day  with 
ninety  prisoners.  A  similar  exploit  was  performed  in  Rhode  Island.  A 
party  in  whale  boats  rowed  across  Narraganset  bay  amid  the  hostile  ships 
and  captured  the  British  General  Prescott  in  his  bed,  July  loth,  and  he  was 
sent  under  a  strong  guard  to  Washington.  Colonel  Burton  led  this 
expedition,  and  afterward  received  a  fine  sword,  as  a  testimonial  of  his 
bravery,  from  Congress. 

Thus  the  campaign  was  opening.  Congress  sent  word  to  Washington  to 
lose  no  time  in  totally  subduing  the  enemy ;  but  he  could,  safely  wait  and 
abide  his  time,  smiling  at  the  vain  confidence  which  had  so  quickly  taken  the 
place  of  distrust  and  almost  of  despair.  His  army  was  being  recruited  every 
day,  and  the  old  soldiers  whose  time  had  expired  were  induced  to  remain  by 
patriotic  appeals  and  the  promise  of  bounty.  By  the  middle  of  June  there 
were  eight  thousand  men  in  the  Continental  army,  tolerably  well  armed  and 
clothed,  and  under  a  fair  state  of  discipline. 

The  Hessians  had  committed  many  depredations  in  New  Jersey,  and  a 
strong  thirst  to  avenge  private  wrongs  induced  many  of  the  citizens  of  that 
State  to  enter  the  service.  Howe  desired  to  capture  the  capital  of  the  States, 
Philadelphia,  and  advanced  his  army  to  do  so,  but  Washington   was  so 


1775] 


THE  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


259 


strongly  intrenched  across  his  road  that  he  dared  not  attack.  He  then 
returned  and  prepared  an  expedition  to  sail  to  the  Chesapeake,  leaving  New 
Jersey  in  complete  possession  of  the  Americans. 

On  the  1 2th  of  July,  General  Burgoyne,  with  a  force  of  seven  thousand 
men,  had  taken  Crown  Point  and  Ticonderoga  from  the  Americans,  and 
spread  terror  and  devastation  through  New  York  and  Vermont.  General 
Clinton  was  left  in  command  at  the  city  of  New  York.  The  force  of 
English  under  General  Howe  landed  at  Elkton,  Maryland,  on  August 
25th,  and  marched  toward  Philadelphia,  and  at  Brandywinc  Creek  a 
severe  battle  was  fought  with  the  Americans,  September  nth,  in  which 
Lafayette  was  wounded,  just  forty  days  after  his  introduction  to  Washington. 
The  patriots  were  defeated  with  a  loss  of  twelve  hundred  men.  The  generals 
of  that  time  laid  the  blame  of  this  defeat  upon  Lord  Stirling,  a  warrior  brave 
but  foolish,  "  aged  and  a  little  deaf,"  who  commanded  the  right  wing. 
Washington  had  lost  the  battle,  but  not  by  any  want  of  skill  or  bravery. 

A  fortnight  afterward  the  British  army  entered  the  city  of  Philadelphia, 
where  so  many  Tories  were  waiting  to  receive  them  that  Benjamin  Franklin 
said,  "  Lord  Howe  has  not  taken  Philadelphia,  but  Philadelphia  has  taken 
Lord  Howe."  The  Federal  Congress  had  fled  at  his  approach,  and  when  in 
the  bright  September  morning  the  British  troops  marched  into  Philadelphia, 
there  were  many  citizens  eager  to  receive  them  with  open  arms.  The  British 
were  in  possession  of  the  long  desired  prize,  the  Federal  Capital,  but  they 
could  obtain  no  supplies  by  sea,  on  account  of  two  forts  on  opposite  sides  of 
the  Delaware,  a  few  miles  below  the  city,  and  on  the  morning  of  October 
22nd,  they  were  attacked  by  a  large  force  of  English  under  Howe.  Fort 
Mercer  was  bravely  held  by  General  Christopher  Greene  of  Rhode  Island, 
and  Fort  Miffin  by  Lieutenant  Colonel  Samuel  Smith,  who  both  made  a 
gallant  defense  and  drove  the  British  away.  The  forts  were  afterward 
abandoned  and  the  English  had  possession  of  the  river  to  the  sea.  While  the 
British  were  weakened  by  the  large  detachment  which  had  gone  down  the 
Delaware,  Washington  decided  to  attack  the  main  force  of  the  enemy,  and  a 
complete  surprise  was  given  them,  which  at  first  was  successful.  But  in  the 
darkness  of  night  confusion  arose  among  the  regiments  of  the  Continental 
army,  and  some  of  them  mistook  each  other  for  enemies,  confusion  increased 
to  a  wild  panic  and  they  fled  in  disaster.  We  must  leave  Washington 
preparing  to  go  into  winter-quarters,  and  turn  northward  to  see  about  the  army 
of  Burgoyne  which  we  left  in  possession  of  Ticonderoga  and  Crown  Point. 
This  English  general  now  set  out  on  an  expedition  from  Canada  to  subdue 
the  northern  part  of  New  York.  General  Schuyler  was  in  command  but  he 
had  only  a  small  force  of  militia.  These  men  were  of  different  temper  and 
spirit  from  the  citizens  of  Philadelphia  and  vicinity,  and  when  they  heard  of 
the  invasion,  assembled  from  all  over  the  country.  Each  man  took  down  his 
musket  from  where  he  had  hung  it,  and  hurried  away  to  join  the  army.  They 
were  undisciplined  but  resolute  of  purpose.  The  invader  made  slow  progress 
until  he  found  himself  at  Saratoga.    A  band  was  sent  to  Bennington,  Ver 


i  ►. 


1".  ■;!iJ 


■n 


P:.t».ii. 


O'V'l  -^ 


mt^m 


m^^^ 


■ifif 


r 


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t\   I 


'"  i 


260 


THE  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


[1782 


mont,  to  seize  cattle  and  provisions  which  were  gathered  there.  Colonel 
John  Stark  had  been  commissioned  to  raise  troops  in  New  Hampshire,  and 
with  his  men  defeated  one  party  of  English,  while  Colonel  Seth  Warner  met 
and  overcame  another,  August  i6th.  These  victories  were  like  a  star  of  hope 
in  the  prevailing  gloom  of  the  darkness.  Burgoyne  was  in  difficulty ;  he  had 
been  impeded  by  the  efforts  of  Schuyler  in  his  march,  was  in  an  enemy  s 
country  without  supplies,  and  found  but  little  help  from  the  tones.  It  was 
now  October  and  the  heavy  fall  rains  made  the  roads  impassable.  Provisions 
were  getting  low  and  hard  to  procure.  The  Indians  had  been  aroused  in  the 
Mohawk  Valley  and  joined  the  British.  They  invested  Fort  Stanwix  with  a 
band  of  tories  under  Johnson  and  Butler,  and  had  led  Colonel  Gransevooit 
with  his  militia  into  an  ambush,  and  defeated  them,  mortally  wounding  the 
colonel.  But  the  besieged  party  under  their  commander,  Colonel  Millit, 
made  a  successful  sortie  and  broke  the  sicgo.  Arnold  came  up  with  a  body 
of  troops  to  relieve  the  garrison,  and  the  Indians  and  their  unhappy  tor> 
friends  fled  in  confusion. 

The  British  general  had  little  hope  of  fulfilling  his  promise  to  eat  his 
Christmas  dinner  in  Albany.  He  could  not  remain  where  he  was  ;  to  retreat 
or  to  advance  would  be  equally  disastrous.  He  crossed  the  Hudson  and 
fortified  a  camp  on  the  hills  and  plains  of  Saratoga.  The  American  army  was 
four  miles  distant  at  Stillwater.  An  indecisive  battle  was  fought  on  the  19th 
of  September,  both  sides  claiming  the  victory.  The  English  fell  back  to  thoii 
camp.  Here  Burgoyne  resolved  to  wait  for  reinforcements  from  General 
Clinton,  but  after  a  few  days  not  hearing  from  Clinton,  he  made  another 
attack  upon  the  Americans  and  was  completely  defeated  October  7th,  1777. 
His  army  was  becoming  enferbled  by  frequent  desertions  of  the  tories  and 
Indians,  while  that  of  the  patriots  was  being  strengthened  by  the  militia 
which  flocked  to  them,  and  the  Indian  warriors  of  the  Six  Nations  who  joined 
them.  Ten  days  after  his  defeat,  when  he  had  only  three  days'  rations  in 
camp,  he  surrendered  his  whole  force  to  General  Gates.  They  were 
surrounded  and  had  no  chance  to  escape ;  so  closely  had  the  net  been  drawn, 
that  when  the  last  council  of  war  was  held  by  the  British  officers  they  were 
within  reach  of  the  American  muskets.  Six  thousand  men  laid  down  their 
arms  to  mere  peasants.  Well  drilled,  armed  and  clothed,  the  English 
surrendered  to  patriots  who  were  ununiformed  and  fought  with  powder-horns 
slung  across  their  shoulders,  and  with  muskets  that  had  no  bayonets,  no  two 
of  whom  were  dressed  alike.  Such  humiliation  had  never  befallen  the  British 
army  before.  But  this  uncouth  American  army  behaved  with  noble  spirit 
toward  the  conquered.  General  Gates  kept  his  men  within  their  lines  that 
they  might  not  see  the  vanquished  lay  down  their  arms.  Not  a  word  or  look 
of  disrespect  was  given  the  enemy.  "  All  were  mute  in  astonishment  and 
pity."  Ticonderoga  and  Crown  Point  were  given  up  to  the  Americans  ;  they 
had  gained  a  large  amount  of  arms,  cannon,  and  munitions  of  war. 

England  took  this  defeat  very  much  to  heart,  and  now  too  late  they 
resolved    to    redress    the    wrongs    of    the    Colonies.       The    patriots   were 


^ 


>775] 


THE  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


261 


encouraged,  the  torics  put  down,  and  France  was  urged  to  espouse  the  cause 
of  America,  all  as  the  effect  of  this  defeat.  Parliament  abandoned  all  claim 
to  tax  the  Colonies,  every  obnoxious  law  would  be  repealed,  and  all  would  be 
forgiven  if  America  would  return  to  her  allegiance.  Commissioners  were 
iiurrled  away  to  bear  the  olive  branch  of  peace  to  Congress.  liut  the  time 
for  peace  with  England,  as  Colonies,  had  passed  forever.  In  a  few  well  chosen 
words  Congress  declined  the  offer,  and  the  war  went  on.  America  had 
chosen  to  be  free,  and  proud  England,  whose  armies  had  been  victorious  all 
(tver  the  world  could  not  tamely  abandon  her  claim  and  retire  defeated  before 
the  feeble  Colonies.  The  war  so  far  had  cost  the  English  twenty  thousand 
lives  and  increased  the  national  debt  to  an  alarming  extent.  Her  ablest 
generals  had  been  defeated  by  half-clad  and  half-armed  countrymen.  Tratle 
was  languishing,  and  there  was  dissatisfaction  among  the  laboring  classes. 
Commerce  was  crippled  by  American  privateers,  who  attacked  English 
merchantmen,  and  for  all  this  loss  what  had  been  gained  ?  Actually  nothing': 
but  the  vain  satisfaction  of  having  inflicted  untold  misery  upon  an  industrious 
and  frugal  people,  carrying  sorrow  and  suffering  to  thousands  of  happy 
homes  in  America.  They  had  caused  men  to  leave  their  peaceful  associations, 
and  leave  their  fields  unsown  :  their  shops  silent.  The  trading  classes  had 
been  impoverished,  the  fisheries  and  commerce  well  nigh  annihilated,  and 
solid  money  had  disappeared  from  the  country.  That  was  all  that  England 
had  gained ;  for  the  Americans  were  still  determined  to  gain  their 
independence. 

February  4th,  1778,  the  treaty  of  alliance  between  the  United  States  and 
France  was  signed,  and  now  the  Americans  were  not  left  to  fight  the 
powerful  British  nation  single  handed.  Spain  also  joined  with  France  and 
from  this  union  the  cause  of  American  independence  was  secured. 

Washington  had  gone  into  winter-quarters  with  his  troops  at  Valley 
Forge,  where  his  poorly-clad  and  ill-fed  army  shivered  in  their  log  cabins, 
while  the  army  of  Howe  were  passing  their  time  in  luxury  and  ease  within 
the  comfortable  homes  of  Philadelphia.  If  there  is  a  spot  on  the  broad 
Western  Continent  where  a  monument  ought  to  be  erected  to  perpetuate  the 
memories  of  the  Revolutionary  struggle,  it  is  at  Valley  Forge.  Here 
Washington  held  his  army  together  without  clothing  or  camp  equipage, 
and  but  little  provision,  through  the  long,  dark  night  of  that  terrible 
winter  of  1777-78.  The  general  shared  with  his  men  the  privations  and 
suffering  of  the  winter,  and  neither  lost  hope  in  the  justness  of  their  cause, 
or  the  final  issue.  And  when  the  fearful  ordeal  had  passed,  and  the  troops 
received  the  news  of  the  treaty  with  France  in  the  early  spring,  shouts  and 
cheers  shook  the  air  and  were  heard  for  miles  around. 

This  alliance  with  France  gave  the  Americans  great  hope  and  added  to 
thdr  zeal.  Nor  was  this  all,  for  the  French  government  began  active 
measures  at  once.  A  fleet  of  twelve  ships  of  the  line  was  despatched  at  once 
to  American  waters  to  co-operate  with  General  Washington,  under  the 
command  of  Count  D'Estaing.    The  British  Ministry  ordered  General  Howe 


Llli  ! 


P       11 


If  '  ''.i"  •;•«■ 


262 


THE  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.. 


[1775 


to  leave  Philadelphia  and  concentrate  his  force  in  New  York.  Nor  did  he 
leave  that  point  any  too  soon,  for  the  French  fleet  appeared  in  the  Delaware 
July  8th.  But  then  the  British  w«:re  far  on  their  way  to  Amboy,  beyond  the 
reach  of  the  French  ships  which  Vv^ere  too  large  to  cross  the  bar  which 
stretches  nortVi\va«*d  from  Sandy  Hook  toward  the  narrows.  But 
Washington  ha^  been  watching  the  movement,  and  on  the  morning  of 
Sunday,  June  2ijth,  had  begun  a  general  engagement  with  the  whole  Britsli 
force  at  Monmouth,  and  won  the  battle  after  a  severe  fight  which  lasted  all 
day.  All  night  he  rested  en  his  arms,  to  renew  the  attack  in  the  morning, 
but  when  day  came  the  enemy  were  not  to  be  seen,  having  begun  their 
retreat  at  one  o'clock  in  the  moriiing,  Washington  did  not  follow,  but 
returned  to  New  Brunswick. 

When  the  F'-ench  fleet  arrived,  Washington  urged  D'Estaing  to  proceed 
to  Rhode  Island  to  drive  the  British  out  of  that  provinc-c.  General  Sullivan 
was  sent  to  take  command  of  the  troops  there.  John  Hancock  came  with 
the  Massachu'5'itts  militia.  Several  English  ships  reinforced  the  fleet  ai  New 
York  and  appeared  off  Rhode  Island  the  day  the  American:^;  landed.  The 
French  fleet  came  out  to  engage  the  English,  but  a  storm  disabled  both  fleets 
and  the  Frenchmen  sr.iied  for  Boston  to  repair,  leaving  the  land  force  to  mcot 
the  British  unaided.  The  Americans  retreated  to  the  north  end  of  the  Isla'^d, 
where  General  Sullivan  defeated  the  British  at  Quaker  Hil!,  August  .29th,  and 
then  to  avoid  being  cut  off  by  Howe  retired  to  the  main  land  the  next  day. 


THE  WYOMING  MASSACRE. 


E  come  to  a  chapter  in  the  American  conflict  which 
has  no  parallel  in  the  scenes  of  carnage  and  cruelty 
that  stain  the  pages  oi  history.  A  '.ragedy  that 
found  no  apologists  in  the  nation  in  whose  interests 
it  was  enacted.  There  were  in  all  the  provinces 
numbers  of  persons  who  still  sympathized  with  the 
English,  some  were  oorn  in  England  and  loved  the 
land  of  their  birth  better  than  the  young  Republic  of  the  West,  some 
were  shocked  by  tne  fratricidal  war  rnd  dreaded  its  consequences; 
some  were  co.iscientious  loyalists  v/ho  thought  the  patriots  were 
guilty  of  treason  ;  some  were  rencf/ades  who  had  private  grievances 
to  settle,  and  some  v;ere  bribed  by  offers  of  British  possessions  and 
gold.  All  of  them,  from  the  pe.'iceful  Quaker  and  Moravian  who 
would  rather  suffer  than  fight,  to  the  lawless  assassin  v»ho  would  kill 
for  pay,  were  termed  tories.  We  have  spoken  of  two,  Jfhnson  and 
Butler.  The  latter,  Colonel  John  Butler,  was  in  command  of  a 
body  of  tories  from  Niagara,  and  he  came  southward  inciting  the  Indians  to 
ari«;e  against  the  settlers.     They  gathered  at  Tioga  early  in  June,  1778,  and 


■>iHm»*^'<UBiBWi»> 


1782] 


THE  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE 


263 


by  the  ist  of  July  mustered  eleven  hundred  whites  and  Indians,  the  latter 

from   the   head  waters  of  the  Susquehanna.      They  entered   the   beautiful 

Wyoming    Valley    the   2nd   of  July.       This   was  a   part   of   the    State  of 

Pennsylvania.     The  strong  men  were  mostly  in  the  distant  army  on  duty ; 

the  aged  men  with  the  women  and  children  and  a  very  few  trained  soldiers 

were  all  that  were  left  in  this  defenceless  valley.     Colonel  Zebulon  Butler,  a 

native  of  Connecticut,  who  had  been  in  the  early  Indian  and  French  wars, 

with  a  small  force  of  four  hundred  men  marched  up  the  valley  to  drive  the 

tory  Butler  and  his  Indians  back.    They  were  met  by  the  savage  foe  and 

after  a  fearful  conflict  were  most  of  them  killed  or  taken  prisoners  July  4th, 

1778.    A  few  of  them  made  their  escape  to  Forty  Fort  where  the  families  of 

the  settlers  were  gathered  for  shelter  and  defence.     The  invaders  swept  like  a 

storm  cloud  down  the  valley  and  surrounded   the  fort,  where  contrary  to 

expectation  they  offered  humane  terms  of  surrender.     They  returned  to  their 

homes  in  fancied  security,  but  the  Indians  could  not  be  held  in  restraint,  and 

plundered  and   burned,  slaughtered  and    butchered  on    every   hand.     They 

scattered  in  every  direction  at  sunset  and  when  the  darkness  of  night  settled 

upon  the  scene  twenty  burning  houses  sent  up  their  lurid  flames  to  the  sky 

The  cry  of  women  and  child»-en  went  up  from  every  field  and  house,  and 

many  who  fled  to  the  Wilkesbarre  mountains  r^nd  the  black  morasses  of  the 

Pocono,  perishrr'   from  exposure  and  starvation.     That  dark  region  between 

the  valley  and    .iic    Delaware   is  very  appropriately  termed   the  Shades  oj 

Death.     Thus  was  enacted  the   most  shameful  crime  committed  among  the 

many  that  disgraced  the  action  of  the  English  during  the  war.     Joseph  Brant, 

a  Mohawk  Indian,  who  had  adhered  to  the  English,  had  gone  with  war  parties 

south  of  the  Mohawk  River,  and  joincil,  with  their  allies,  Johnson,  the  tory 

leader,  and  together  they  attacked  the  settlement  of  Cherry  Valley,    killed 

many  of  the  people,  and  carried   the  rest  into  captivity.     Such  was  the  alarm 

in  all  that   region   that    for   months   no   eye  was  closed   in  security.      The 

country  for  a  hundred  miles  around  was  called  the  dark  and  bloody  ground. 

The  record  of  that  one    county  in   New   York, — Tryon   County,   it  is  now 

called, — for  four  years,  would  fill  a  large  volume.     To  such  severe  straights 

had  the  British    government   come   in    their   contest   with  a  united    people 

fighting  for  their  freedom.      The  Americans  had  a  great  account  to  settk 

with  the  tories    who   had    already  been  the  cause  ot    much  bloodshed   and 

misery  and  were  always  a  source  of  strength  and  information  to  the  Britisl' 


"1-1  tr ' 


1^^.:.. 


\!ir 


E''      <i 


■  U.-'t'. 


!  i, 


U  f 


111 


l!  <! 


':'^)t.; 


H 


264  THE  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE.  [1775 


THE  WAR  IN  1779-1780. 


HE  Continental  army  had  gained  much  in  the  former 
campaign  although  the  spring  of  1779  opened  with  the 
forces  in  the  same  relative  position  as  the  spring  before. 
But  the  American  army  was  in  better  condition  and 
material  than  ever  previous.  France  was  in  active 
sympathy  with  the  States,  and  they  were  learning  how 
to  conduct  naval  operations  and  the  art  of  civil  government. 
The  power  of  the  British  in  the  States  north  of  the  Potomac 
was  becoming  weak  and  the  field  of  conflict  was  to  be 
changed  to  the  sparsely  settled  South.  The  French  fleet  had 
sailed  to  the  West  Indies  to  attack  the  English  possessions 
there,  and  this  drew  away  a  part  of  the  English  force  with 
some  of  their  ships.  Altogether  the  conditions  of  the  conflict 
were  bright  for  the  side  of  America.  The  chief  embar- 
rassment was  the  fact  of  a  large  issue  of  .scrip  of  the 
government  in  the  place  of  money,  and  its  large  depreciation 
in  value.  This  Continental  currency  had  neither  the  binding  force  of  a 
promise  to  pay  in  gold  or  silver,  nor  the  pledge  of  public  credit.  In  the 
spring  of  1779,  Washington,  in  conference  with  a  ccmmittee  of  Congress, 
matured  a  plan  of  campaign  for  the  year.  He  was  to  act  on  the  defensive  so 
far  as  the  English  were  concerned,  and  on  the  offensive  in  dealing  with  the 
Indians  and  tories.  The  British  troops  were  to  be  confined  to  the  sea 
coast  and  the  Indians  and  their  unholy  allies  were  to  be  severely  punished 
wherever  a  blow  could  be  struck.  The  English  had  already  sailed  to  the 
South  and  subjugated  the  whole  State  of  Georgia,  making  their  head-quarters 
in  the  capital,  which  they  held  until  nearly  the  close  of  the  war,  even  after 
the  rest  of  the  State  had  been  recovered.  The  patriots  of  Georgia  and  South 
;  I  Carolina  contended  with  the  invaders  bravely  and  punished  them  at  many 
i  [  points,  but  were  overcome  by  superior  numbers.  They  were  kept  out  of 
I  i  Charleston  and  obliged  to  retire  to  Georgia,  where  General  Prcvost  cam«  up 
I  j  from  Florida  to  join  the  English  and  assume  command  of  the  .^orces. 
I   i  In  the  North  the  British  were  sending  out  marauding  piirties  to  harass 

\\  •  the  citizens  along  the  sea  coast.  Such  an  expedition  undev  General  Tryon 
!  came  to  Greenwich,  Connecticut,  to  attack  General  Putnam.  The  Americans 
M  '  were  dispersed  but  rallied  at  Stamford  and  drove  the  invaders  back, 
recaptured  a  part  of  their  plunder,  and  harassed  them  all  the  way  back  to 
New  York.  An  expedition  under  command  o>f  Sir  George  Collier  sailed  up 
Hampton  Roads  into  the  Elizabeth  River,  and  laid  the  country  waste  on  both 
sides  from  the  Roads  to  Norfolk  and  Portsmouth.  The  last  part  of  the  same 
month  two  forts  on  the  Hudson  were  captured  by  the  same  fleet,  Stony  Point 
and  Vcrplanck's  Point.     These  exploits  ended.  General  Tryon  went  to  New 


m 


■  ■WliWitBflg 


1782] 


THE  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


265 


Haven,  Connecticut,  and  burned  that  city,  also  East  Haven,  Fairfield  and 
Norwalk,  and  boasted  of  his  extreme  clemency  in  leaving  a  single  house 
standing  on  the  coast.  The  Americans  were  not  idle  all  this  time,  but  were 
making  ready  to  strike  heavy  and  unexpected  blows  at  different  points. 
Three  days  after  the  burning  of  Norwalk  the  Fort  at  Stony  Point  was 
captured  by  Colonel  Anthony  Wayne,  who  secretly  attacked  it  on  the  night 
of  July  15th,  1779,  with  ball  and  bayonet,  and  captured  it  after  a  strong 
resistance.  This  was  one  of  the  most  brilliant  exploits  of  the  war.  Another 
brilliant  achievement  followed  this,  the  capture  of  a  British  force  at  Jersey 
City  by  General  Henry  Lee,  August  19th,  but  the  joy  which  these  events 
occasioned  was  changed  to  sorrow  by  disaster  in  the  extreme  East. 
Massachusetts  fitted  out  an  expedition  of  forty  vessels  to  sail  to  the 
Penobscot  and  take  a  fort  held  by  the  British  at  Castine.  The  commander 
delayed  to  storm  the  place  for  two  weeks  after  his  arrival,  and  an  English  fleet 
appeared,  destroyed  the  vessels  and  captured  the  sailors  and  soldiers,  all  but 
a  few  who  made  their  way  back  to  Boston  through  the  trackless  wilderness. 

The  settlers  of  the  territories  beyond  the  Alleghanies,  who  had  beer- 
accustomed  to  fight  the  Indians  from  their  first  coming  into  the  wilderness 
were  fearless  and  bold,  and  now  they  turned  their  attention  to  the  British 
outposts  to  fight  the  whites.  Colonel  George  Rogers  Clarke  (who  finallj 
broke  the  power  of  the  Indians  incited  by  the  tories  and  English)  led  an 
expedition  into  the  far  wilderness  of  the  northwest  territory,  where  Illinoi? 
and  Indiana  now  are,  and  took  the  fort  at  Kaskaskia,  and  the  strong  post  af 
Vincennes.  This  had  happened  in  ^778.  But  the  British  from  Detroit 
retfiok  the  post  in  January,  1779.  Acting  as  a  peace-maker,  Clarke  again 
penetrated  a  hundred  miles  beyond  the  Ohio  river,  to  quiet  the  Indians  in 
the  Northwest.  He  came  through  the  drowned  lands  of  Illinois  in  the  month 
of  February,  and  came  upon  the  fort  at  Vincennes  like  men  who  had  dropped 
from  the  clouds  On  the  20th  of  February,  the  stars  and  stripes  floated  once 
more  over  the  fort. 

The  indignation  of  the  people  was  thoroughly  aroused  by  the  massacre  ol 
the  Wyoming,  and  General  Sullivan  was  sent  to  the  very  heart  of  the  region 
held  by  the  Six  Nations  to  chastise  and  humble  them.  On  the  last  day  of 
July  he  marched  up  the  Susquehanna  and  joined  the  forces  of  General  James 
Clinton,  a  patriot  soldier,  in  August,  making  an  army  of  nearly  five  thousand 
men.  On  the  29th  of  August  they  fell  upon  a  fortified  band  of  Indians  and 
tories  and  dispersed  them.  Without  waiting  for  them  to  rally,  he  went  on 
dealing  severe  blows  and  chastising  the  savages  on  every  hand.  The  Indians 
were  awed  and  spirit-broken  for  a  while.  The  campaign  in  the  South  had 
closed  with  the  unsuccessful  attempt  of  the  Americans  to  capture  Savannah. 
The  French  fleet  was  withdrawn,  and  General  Lincoln  was  in  full  retreat 
toward  Charleston.  Tnus  closed  the  campaign  for  1779  ^'^^^  discour- 
agement for  the  Americans,  as  nothing  of  importance  had  been  accomplished 
in  the  South.  In  the  North  the  British  were  driven  out  of  Rhode  Island  by 
the  fear  of  a  French  fleet.     Lafayette  had  gone  to  France  and  induced  the 


*.  i 


^::  J . 


''^t 


H 


r:m 


266 


THE  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


[i;75 


government  to  send  a  larger  fleet  and  six  thousand  troops  to  America.  Sir 
Henry  Clinton  sailed  for  South  Carolina  in  December,  1779,  and  Washington 
went  to  winter  quarters.  While  at  best  there  was  no  perceptible  gain  on 
the  land,  the  American  sailors  were  achieving  wonderful  success  from  their 
bravery  and  audacity.  John  Paul  Jones  had  dared  to  attack  the  strongest' 
ships  in  the  English  navy,  and  had  followed  them  into  the  very  chops  of  the 
British  channel.  The  Serapis  and  the  Countess  of  Scarborough  had  struck 
their  colors  to  the  Bonhomme  Richard,  the  ship  commanded  by  Jones,  and 
he  had  taken  in  all,  during  the  year,  prizes  to  the  amount  of  two  hundred 
thousand  dollars.  The  English  had  gained  nothing  in  America,  and  had  a 
great  weight  of  trouble  in  other  parts  of  the  world.  Spain  had  declared  war 
with  England,  and  the  hands  of  the  English  were  full. 

The  campaign  of  1780  in  the  South  was  a  source  of  disasters  to  the 
Americans,  resulting  in  the  loss  of  Charleston,  the  whole  State  of  South 
Carolina,  the  destruction  of  two  armies,  and  the  scattering  of  a  good  band 
of  independent  rangers.  Lincoln  and  his  army  surrendered  at  Charles- 
ton after  a  gallant  defense  of  forty  days.  Thus  the  British  took  at  one 
time  between  five  and  six  thousand  men,  and  four  hundred  pieces  of 
artillery. 

Colonel  Tarleton,  a  name  which  is  held  in  contempt  by  all  honest  mc, 
and  which  comes  down  the  pages  of  history  as  the  synonym  of  the  meanest 
treachery,  surrounded  a  band  of  patriots,  who  were  retreating  from 
Charleston  toward  North  Carolina,  with  a  force  twice  the  size  of  the 
Americans,  and  almost  annihilated  them,  killing  men  after  they  had 
surrendered  and  while  they  asked  for  quarter.  It  was  a  cold-blooded 
massacre,  denounced  by  the  liberal  press  of  England  in  the  most  scathing 
terms. 

General  Gates  and  Baron  De  Kalb  were  defeated  at  Sanders*  Creek  after 
a  sanguinary  encounter  in  which  they  were  completely  overcome,  and  Baron 
De  Kalb  was  slain.  The  flower  of  the  American  army  was  now  destroyed,  and 
the  hearts  of  the  patriots  were  beating  with  anxiety. 

General  Gates  had  ordered  General  Sumter  to  command  a  detachment  to 
intercept  a  detachment  of  British  and  take  their  supplies.  But  when  he 
heard  of  the  defeat  of  General  Gates,  Fumter  fortified  his  camp  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Fishney  Creek.  Tarleton,  the  atrocious  general,  fell  upon  him 
and  scattered  his  band.     Sumter  escaped,  but  his  power  was  broken. 

But  while  these  misfortunes  were  spreading  a  pall  of  darkness  over  the 
American  cause,  a  man  hitherto  unknown  was  waging  a  warfare  on  his  own 
account  upon  the  tories,  and  hanging  upon  the  flanks  of  the  BritisAi  army, 
deaUng  heavy  blows  to  injure  and  cripple  them.  He  was  Marion,  the 
partisan  leader  of  South  Carolina  who  had  collected  a  band  of  Southern 
patriots  after  the  fall  of  Charleston.  He  had  been  with  the  army  in  that 
city,  but  at  the  time  of  the  surrender  was  at  home  with  a  wound,  so  he  was 
not  hampered  b>  any  parole.  He  came  to  General  Gates  just  before  the 
disastrous  battle  of  Camden  with  a  few  ragged  fellows,  more  grotesque  than 


1782] 


THE  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


267 


merica.  Sir 
Washington 
ible  gain  on 
s  from  their 
lie  strongest 
;hops  of  the 
(  had  struck 
r  Jones,  and 
;wo  hundred 
a,  and  had  a 
declared  war 

sters  to  the 
ite  of  South 
a  good  band 
at  Charles- 
took  at  one 
ed  pieces  of 

honest  mc , 

the  meanest 

reating    from 

size   of    the 

;r    they    had 

cold-blooded 

lost  scathing 

Creek  after 
le,  and  Baron 
sstroyed,  and 

etachment  to 
Jut  when  he 
camp  at  the 
ell  upon  him 
:en. 

less  over  the 

on  his  own 

British  army, 

Marion,  the 

of   Southern 

army  in  that 

id,  so  he  was 

:  before  the 

otesque  than 


the  soldiers  of  Falstaff.  The  general  was  inclined  to  ridicule  them,  but 
Governor  Rutledge,  who  was  present,  knew  the  sterling  qualities  of  the  man, 
and  made  him  a  brigadier  on  the  spot.  The  people  of  Williamsburg  arose  in 
arms  and  sent  for  him  to  command  them.  He  went  and  organized  his 
wonderful  brigade  which  defied  the  British  power  after  the  disaster  at 
Camden. 

Cornwallis  organized  the  State  of  South  Carolina  as  a  royal  province  as 
military  governor,  but  he  was  so  merciless,  vindictive  and  selfish  that  even 
those  who  were  friendly  to  the  British  fell  away  from  him,  and  on  the  7th  of 
October  a  band  of  patriots  fell  upon  the  army,  which  he  was  leading  into  the 
North  State,  at  King's  Mountain,  two  miles  south  of  the  State  line,  and  totally 
defeated  them.  This  gave  the  republicans  renewed  hope.  On  the  seaboard 
Marion's  men  were  doing  wonders  in  driving  back  the  British  and  redeeming 
the  country.  Cornwallis  fell  back  to  Wainsborough  and  fortified.  Here  he 
remained  until  he  went  in  pursuit  of  Greene  a  few  weeks  later.  Victory  after 
victory  crowned  the  efforts  of  Marion  and  his  men,  but  he  had  confined  his 
operations  thus  far  to  forages  upon  the  enemy.  Now  he  concluded  to  try 
strength  in  an  open  assault  upon  the  British  post  at  Georgetown.  The 
partisan  warrior  was  repulsed  but  not  disheartened.  He  had  a  camp  on 
Snow's  Island  in  the  Pedce  country,  and  would  sally  forth  so  suddenly  and 
attack  the  British  unawares  at  so  many  and  widely  separated  points  in  such  a 
marvelously  short  time,  that  they  became  thoroughly  alarmed,  and 
determined  to  break  up  his  rendezvous.  This  was  not  accomplished  until  the 
spring  of  1 781,  when  t,  band  of  tories  led  the  way  to  his  camp  in  the  swamp, 
while  he  was  away,  took  the  few  whom  Marion  had  left  there  and  destroyed 
his  supplies.  The  hero,  when  he  returned,  was  surprised,  but  not 
disheartened,  and  at  once  started  in  pursuit  of  the  marauder,  and  after 
following  him,  suddenly  turned  and  confronted  the  British  coldnel,  Watson, 
who  came  up  with  fresh  troops. 

But  now  we  will  turn  to  the  North  for  a  little  while.  In  June,  1780, 
Clinton  had  made  an  invasion  into  New  Jersey,  burned  Elizabeth  and 
Connecticut  Farms,  and  had  been  driven  back  to  Staten  Island  after  a  severe 
defeat  at  Springfield,  June  23.  The  French  fleet  under  Count  de  Rocham- 
beau  had  landed  in  Rhode  Island  with  six  thousand  land  troops,  July  10, 
1780.  Lafayette  had  arranged  the  whole  affair  during  his  visit  in  France, 
and  to  prevent  any  conflict  of  authority,  as  in  the  case  of  D'Estaing,  the 
French  had  commissioned  Washington  a  Lieutenant  General  in  their  anny. 
Rochambeau  first  met  Washington  in  Hartford,  and  his  men  were  sem  co 
encamp  in  Lebanon,  Connecticut,  as  the  season  had  too  far  advanced  for 
them  to  be  of  service  in  the  campaign  this  season. 


Jl 


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268 


THE  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


THE  FIRST  AND  ONLY  TRAITOR. 


U77S 


OW  we  come  to  a  sad  chapter  with  which  we  wish 
to  wind  up  the  record  of  the  year  1780.  At  diflferent 
times  during  the  war  the  British  officers  had  attempted, 
directly  or  indirectly,  to  tamper  with  Americans  of 
high  rank  whom  they  thought  were  of  easy  virtue,  but 
not  till  the  very  last  of  the  war  had  they  found  a 
single  one  to  listen  to  their  advances.  Now  they 
approached  one  whose  personal  ambition  had  led  him  to 
aspire  to  supersede  his  commander-in-chief,  but  he  had  failed  in 
the  attempt.  Benedict  Arnold,  of  Connecticut,  the  arch  traitor 
and  the  man  whose  name  would  go  down  to  posterity  covered 
with  execration  to  future  generations,  was  a  brave  man,  but 
thoroughly  bad.  He  had  fought  nobly  at  the  outbreak  of  the 
war,  as  we  have  seen,  and  held  a  high  command  in  the 
Continental  army.  He  was  impulsive,  vindictive  and 
unscrupulous,  and  always  in  some  sort  of  a  quarrel  with  his  fellow- 
generals  ;  unpopular  with  his  command.  When  he  was  appointed 
to  the  command  of  Philadelphia,  after  being  wounded  at  Bemis' 
Heights,  he  married  the  daughter  of  a  provincial  tory,  and  lived  in  splendor 
far  beyond  his  means.  To  meet  the  exactions  of  his  creditors,  he  resorted  to 
a  great  many  fraudulent  practices,  which  caused  him  to  be  reported  to  the 
Continental  Congress.  He  was  convicted  and  severely  reprimanded  by  a 
court  marshal  appointed  to  try  the  case.  Washington  bestowed  this 
reprimand,  and  Arnold,  smarting  under  the  disgrace,  and  pressed  by  the  load 
of  debt,  fell  into  the  grievous  crime  of  betraying  the  command  at  West 
Point.  He  was  regarded  with  suspicion,  but  Washington  did  not  think  him 
capable  of  treason.  The  price  of  his  perfidy  was  to  be  a  major  general's 
commission  in  the  English  army  and  fifty  thousand  dollars.  Major  John 
Andre  was  sent  by  Sir  Henry  Clinton  to  complete  the  negotiations  which  had 
been  going  on  for  months.  West  Point  was  a  fortified  position  on  the 
Hudson,  deemed  of  great  importance  to  both  parties,  and  was  strongly 
garrisoned  by  the  Americans.  The  plans  were,  that  Clinton  was  to  sail  up 
the  Hudson,  attack  the  Fort,  and  after  a  show  of  resistance,  Arnold  was  to 
surrender  all  the  arms  and  men  to  him.  But  the  final  arrangements  must  be 
made  by  a  personal  conference,  and  Andre  was  sent  for  this  purpose.  He 
was  taken  up  the  Hudson  on  board  of  a  British  vessel,  the  Vulture, — rightly 
named — and  landed ;  but  all  did  not  work  well,  for  some  patriots  dragged  an 
old  six-pounder  out  upon  Tellers' Point,  and  hammered  away  with  it  until  the 
Vulture  was  compelled  to  land  Andre  and  drop  down  the  river.  He  then 
proceeded  on  foot  as  far  as  Tarrytown,  when  he  was  stopped  by  three  young 
Americans,  searched,  and  sent  to  the  nearest  military  post,  then  in  command 
pf   Colonel  Jackson.     The  colonel  unwisely  allowed  the  prisoner  to  send  a 


1782] 


THE  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


269 


letter  to  Arnold,  although  he  could  not  see  why ;  and  then  the  double-dyed 
traitor  abandoned  the  unfortunate  Andre,  and  escaped  in  his  own  boat  to  the 
Vulture.  Andre  was  more  to  be  pitied  than  blamed,  but  found  in  the  vile 
condition  of  an  enemy  taken  in  disguise,  he  was  tried  as  a  spy,  found  guilty 
and  hanged,  while  the  real  miscreant  escaped.  Washington  did  his  best  to 
save  the  brave  young  officer,  but  the  stern  rules  of  war  would  not  permit  him 
to  save  one  engaged  in  such  an  act.  There  were  dark  intimations  of  other 
treasons,  and  it  would  not  do  to  pass  this  lightly  by.  Andre  begged  to  die  a 
soldier's  death,  but  this  was  denied  him,  and  he  wus  executed  on  the  second 
day  of  October,  1780.  The  double  traitor,  Arnold,  whose  life  was  not  to  be 
compared  with  that  of  Andre,  lived  and  enjoyed  the  price  of  his  treason. 

And  thus  the  campaign  of  the  sixth  year  closed  with  a  dark  plot  for  the 
betrayal  of  the  cause  of  the  American  States  by  one  of  its  own  officers. 


THE  CLOSING  YEARS  OF  THE  STRUGGLE. 

tHE  events  of  the  year  178 1  opened  with  one  of  the 
noblest  displays  of  true  patriotism  in  the  army.  For 
the  long  years  of  the  struggle  the  soldiers  had  endured 
every  privation  and  suffering  from  the  want  of  money 
and  clothing.  The  scrip  in  which  they  had  been  paid 
depreciated  in  value  until  it  was  almost  worthless. 
Faction  and  discontent  had  come  into  the  Continental 
Congress  and  prevented  needed  action  upon  important 
measures.  The  soldiers  had  enlisted  for  three  years,  or  during 
the  war,  and  this  they  regarded  as  meaning  for  three  years  if  the 
war  did  not  sooner  end,  but  the  officers  interpreted  it  for  the 
entire  war,  even  if  it  lasted  longer  than  three  years.  The 
soldiers  asked  for  aid,  which  was  not  given  them.  On  the 
^first  day  of  January,  thirteen  hundred  of  the  Pennsylvania  line 
who  regarded  their  term  of  enlistment  as  having  expired, 
marched  out  of  their  camp  at  Morristown  and  determined  to 
return  to  Philadelphia  in  a  body  and  demand  their  rights  of 
Congress.  General  Anthony  Wayne,  who  was  much  beloved  by  his  command, 
tried  by  threats  and  promises  to  dissuade  them,  but  they  would  not  be 
persuaded.  The  poor  fellows  thought,  rightly  enough,  that  they  had  a 
righteous  cause  of  grievance.  General  Wayne  stood  before  them  and  cocked 
his  pistol,  but  they  presented  bayonets  to  his  breast  and  said,  "  We  love  and 
respect  you  ;  you  have  often  led  us  to  battle,  but  we  arc  no  longer  under 
your  command ;  be  on  your  guard.  If  you  fire  your  pistol  we  will  put  you 
to  instant  death."  Wayne  appealed  to  their  patriotism,  and  they  pointed  to 
the  impositions  and  unfulfilled  promises  of  the  Congress.  He  told  them  of 
the  comfort  and  aid  their  conduct  would  give  the  enemy,  and  they  pointed  to 
Iheir  tattered  garments  and  poorly-fed  bodies,  but  said  that  they  were  willing 
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270 


THE  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


[^77$ 


to  fight  for  freedom  for  it  was  dear  to  their  hearts,  but  Congress  must  make 
adequate  provision  for  their  comfort  and  necessities,  and  declared  that  they 
were  determined  to  go  to  Philadelphia  to  enforce  their  rights.  Wayne  went 
with  them,  and  when  at  Princeton  they  halted  and  drew  up  a  written 
programme  of  their  demands.  This  was  forwarded  to  Congress  and  resulted 
in  a  compliance  with  their  just  demands.  The  Pennsylvania  line  was 
disbanded,  but  when  Sir  Henry  Clinton  endeavored  to  treat  with  them  and 
sent  emissaries  to  promise  them  all  their  back  pay,  one  of  the  leaders  said, 
"  See,  comrades,  he  takes  us  for  traitors,  let  us  show  him  that  the  American 
army  can  furnish  but  one  Arnold,  and  that  America  has  no  truer  friends  than 
we."  They  seized  the  emissaries  and  their  papers  and  sent  them  to  Wayne, 
who  executed  them  as  spies.  When  the  reward  was  offered  to  the  insurgt:nt3 
they  refused  to  touch  it  and  sent  back  word :  "  Necessity  compelled  us  to 
demand  our  rights  of  Congress,  but  we  desire  no  reward  for  doing  our  duty 
to  our  bleeding  country."  Many  of  them  re-enlisted  for  the  war.  On  the 
1 8th  of  January  the  New  Jersey  troops,  emboldened  by  this  success,  also 
mutinied,  but  the  mutiny  was  put  down  by  harsher  means.  Congress  was 
aroused  to  action,  and  devised  means  for  the  relief  of  the  soldiers.  Tax^s 
were  imposed  and  cheerfully  paid,  money  was  loaned  on  the  credit  of  the 
government,  a  national  bank  was  established,  and  Robert  Morris,  who  had 
given  his  wealth  to  the  country  and  aided  in  establishing  the  national  credit, 
was  the  president.  He  supplied  the  army  with  food  and  clothing  bought  on 
his  own  credit,  and  doubtless  prevented  it  from  disbanding  by  its  own  act. 
All  honor  to  Robert  Morris,  who,  though  not  a  soldier,  was  a  patriot  and  thr 
soldiers*  friend. 

The  military  operations  of  the  year  were  confined  to  the  South,  and 
opened  with  a  series  of  depredations  committed  by  the  arch  traitor,  Arnold. 
who  seemed  over  anxious  to  inflict  all  the  misery  he  could  upon  his  suffcrini; 
country,  and  earn  the  price  of  innocent  blood  with  which  his  treason  had 
been  rewarded.  He  made  two  expeditions  up  the  James  river,  destroying 
public  and  private  property  at  Richmond  and  Petersburg,  and  s^lthough  th<- 
Americans  did  their  utmost  to  capture  him,  he  was  too  cautious,  watchful  and 
quick  for  them,  and  after  plundering  and  slaughtering  the  people  on  every 
hand,  returned  with  the  English  fleet  to  the  New  England  coast,  where  an 
inhuman  butchery,  equalled  only  by  the  massacre  of  the  Wyoming  Valley, 
•vas  enacted  under  his  command,  of  which  we  will  speak  hereafter. 

General  Greene  was  appointed  to  supersede  General  Gates  in  command 
of  the  American  forces  in  the  South.  The  battle  of  Cowpens  was  fought 
January  17th,  1781,  and  resulted  in  a  brilliant  victory  for  the  Americans. 
Then  followed  the  most  remarkable  military  movement  in  the  war,  the  retreat 
of  General  Greene  through  North  Carolina  to  Virginia,  who  ^yas  not  stronj^ 
enough  to  cope  with  the  whole  British  army,  but  on  the  15th  of  March. 
finding  his  force  much  increased  in  strength,  he  fought  the  battle  of  Guilford, 
and  although  the  Americans  were  repulsed  and  the  British  were  in  possession 
of  the  field.  Charles  Fpx,  in  a  speech  in  the  House  of  Commons,  declared 


1782] 


THE  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


271 


"  Another  such  victory  will  ruin  the  British  army."    A  line  in  the  Scotch 
ballad  was  fully  illustrated  : 

"  They  baith  did  fight,  they  baith  did  beat,  they  baith  did  rin  awa'." 

Cornwallis  could  not  maintain  tlie  ground  he  had  gained,  and  the 
Americans  retreated  in  good  order.  Greene  rallied  his  forces  and  pursued  the 
British  to  Deep  River,  Chatham  county.  April  25th  the  American  army  was 
surprised  and  defeated  at  Hobkirk's  Hill,  but  Greene  conducted  his  retreat  in 
good  order.  The  British  commander,  Ra^don,  set  fire  to  Camden  and 
retreated  May  loth.  Within  a  week  Greene  captured  four  important  posts, 
but  was  unsuccessful  at  Fort  Ninety-Six  fron  which  he  retired  June  19th. 
Successes  at  other  points  were  being  reported.  Fort  Galpin  and  the  city  of 
Augusta,  Georgia,  had  been  taken  by  the  Americans  under  Charles  Lee. 
Now  the  British  were  retreating  and  the  Americans  were  the  pursuers. 

The  battle  of  Eutaw  Springs,  September  8th,  resulted  in  a  victory  for 
Greene.  The  partisan  bands  under  Marion  and  Sumter  were  winning 
victories  on  the  Santee  waters.  The  French  army  left  New  England  to  come 
southward  to  the  aid  of  Lafayette,  and  Washington  succeeded  in  avoiding 
the  watchfulness  of  General  Clinton  in  New  York,  and  crossed  the  Hudson 
into  New  Jersey,  and  was  well  on  his  way  before  Clinton  was  aware  of  his 
real  intention.  Arnold  was  sent  to  New  England  by  the  British  to  draw 
Washington  back.  Then  followed  the  bloody  and  inhuman  butchery  of  the 
garrison  at  Fort  Griswold,  opposite  New  London,  in  which  nearly  one  hundred 
men  were  murdered  in  cold  blood  by  the  orders  of  the  traitor.  Cornwallis  was 
fortifying  his  army  at  Yorktown.  Clinton  sent  a  fleet  to  aid  him,  but  he  was 
too  late,  for  when  the  British  ships  came  to  the  mouth  of  the  Chesapeake  they 
found  the  French  fleet  there,  under  De  Grasse,  to  oppose  their  advance.  The 
combined  American  and  French  forces  under  Washington  and  Lafayette  were 
investing  the  whole  British  force  under  Cornwallis.  A  desperate  defense  was 
made  and  repeated  sallies  were  attempted  to  drive  the  assailants  from  their 
works,  but  all  without  success.  The  end  was  approaching.  In  a  few  days 
the  defenses  at  Yorktown  were  laid  in  ruins  by  the  armies  of  Washington  and 
his  compeer.  The  English  guns  were  put  to  silence.  One  night  Cornwallis 
attempted  to  break  the  lines  and  get  his  men  back  to  New  York,  but  was 
prevented  by  the  obstinate  fire  of  the  besiegers,  and  barely  escaped  to  his 
intrenchments  All  hope  was  over,  and  eight  weeks  after  the  siege  began 
Cornwallis  and  his  army  of  eight  thousand  men  capitulated  to  the  American 
commander-in-chief. 

Cornwallis  felt  the  keenness  of  his  humiliation  and  feigned  sickness  on 
the  day  of  his  surrender,  and  therefore  sent  his  sword  by  an  inferior  officer 
General  Lincoln,  who  had  before  surrendered  to  Cornwallis  under  the  most 
humiliating  terms  at  Charleston,  S.  C,  was  detailed  to  receive  the  formal 
surrender.  When  the  sword  was  handed  to  him  he  took  it  and  at  once 
returned  it  to  the  fallen  English  general.  The  war  was  virtually  over,  a  little 
skirmishing  was  going  on  in  Georgia  and  Soi-*"^  <"aroUna,  but  all  was  rejoicing 
and  gladness. 


Mi 


!pi|ii 


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272 


THE  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


[1775 


\Jl<    I'V  V,::  t 

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^  ■■  •  •( 

•      '    ■    I':.     iSl 


Old  King  George  was  stubborn,  but  his  Parliament  would  not  sustain 
him,  and  although  a  treaty  of  peace  was  not  signed  until  1783,  there  was  but 
little  movement  in  America  among  the  English,  while  the  Americans  were 
constantly  on  the  watch.  Savannah  was  evacuated  July  nth,  1782.  The 
last  blood  was  shed  in  September,  1782.  Measures  were  taken  by  the 
American  Congress  and  the  British  government  to  effect  terms  of  peace. 
Peace  was  made  with  France  and  Spain.  The  Americans  had  become 
exhausted  by  the  long  struggle  of  eight  years,  and  could  show  little  more 
than  their  soil  and  their  liberty  in  return  for  it  all.  Iheir  commerce  uas 
dead ;  their  fields  ruined ;  their  towns  and  cities  in  ashes ;  and  they  had  no 
money.  The  public  debt  had  swelled  to  one  hundred  and  seventy  millions  of 
dollars,  and  there  was  nothing  wnich  could  be  called  a  government.  Five 
commissioners  were  appointed  to  meet  the  English  commission  in  Paris,  and 
effect  a  settlement.  John  Adams,  John  Jay,  Benjamin  Franklin,  Thomas- 
Jefferson  and  Henry  Lawrence  were  the  five  chosen.  A  preliminary  treaty 
was  signed  November  30th,  1782,  but  the  final  treaty  was  not  signed  till 
September  3d,  1783.  That  treaty  gave  full  independence  to  the  thirteen 
United  States  of  America,  with  ample  territory  to  the  great  lakes  on  the 
North  and  westward  to  the  Mississippi  river,  with  unlimited  rights  to  fish  on 
the  banks  of  Newfoundland.     The  two  Floridas  were  returned  to  Spain. 

There  is  one  little  episode  prior  to  this  time  which  we  desire  to  mention: 
After  the  surrender  of  Cornwallis  on  the  19th  of  October,  1781,  and  before 
peace  was  declared,  everything  seemed  to  be  in  a  perfect  state  of  confusion. 
The  thirteen  States  were  loosely  held  together.  Congress  had  but  little 
power.  There  was  no  money  to  pay  either  ofificers  or  men,  and  they  had 
been  fighting  for  no  pay.  The  army  would  become  disbanded.  They  had 
fought  bravely,  heroically,  and,  as  patriots,  had  won  the  victory.  Now  they 
must  find  a  livelihood  amid  the  desolations  which  had  been  wrought  by  the 
fearful  struggle.  The  gloomy  aspect  threw  a  pall  over  all  classes.  Congress 
voted  to  retire  the  ofificers  on  half  pay  for  life,  and  the  soldiers  must  shirk  for 
themselves,  but  this  was  afterwards  changed  to  full  pay  for  five  years,  and  the 
soldiers  to  full  pay  for  four  months,  in  part  pay  for  their  losses.  Great 
dissatisfaction  arose  all  over  the  country.  Many  attributed  the  trouble  to  the 
weakness  of  a  Republican  form  of  government,  and  desired  a  monarchy. 
Nicola,  a  foreign  officer  in  a  Pennsylvania  regiment,  in  a  well-written  letter, 
advocated  the  claims  of  a  monarchy,  and  proposed  that  the  army  make 
George  Washington  king,  but  he  was  sharply  rebuked  for  this  by  Washington, 
and  it  was  never  afterwards  broached. 

The  United  States  was  now  a  nation  recognized  by  England,  France, 
Spain  and  Holland.  But  the  feeble  compact  of  the  Continental  Congress 
could  not  long  hold  them  together.  Each  State  might  or  might  not  comply 
with  its  demand,  as  she  saw  fit.  That  power  could  only  discuss  and  advise. 
No  taxes  could  be  collected  by  their  authority ;  they  could  onl;,'  apportion 
certain  amounts  for  the  States  to  raise  or  not,  as  they  chose,  and  most 
frequently  they  did  not  choose,  and  it  became  utterly  impossible  to  raise 


I782J 


THE  WAR  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


273 


money  by  this  method.  The  hardships  and  miseries  of  the  people  fell  with  a 
severe  burden  upon  the  laborers.  The  sufferings  of  a  patient  people  could 
not  endure  everything,  and  their  impatience  showed  itself  in  mutterings  of 
discontent.  A  band  of  two  thousand  men  in  Massachusetts  arose  in  revolt 
and  demanded  that  the  collection  of  taxes  should  cease  for  a  time.  It  was 
some  time  before  this  insurrection  could  be  put  down.  Four  or  five  years  of 
intense  privation  and  suffering  followed  the  Revolution ;  and  surrounded  with 
the  troubles  of  a  misgoverned  people,  it  almost  seemed  as  if  the  war,  after 
all,  had  been  a  failure. 

There  had  been  dark  days  during  the  war,  when  men's  hearts  failed  them 

and  they  lost  confidence    in    Washington.      Reverses    and   disasters   came 

thick   and   fast,  and   he  was   retreating   far   too   much.      He   adhered   to  a 

defensive  policy  when  Congress  was  demanding  quick  and  decisive  blows  to 

curb  the  invader.     The  people  did  not  consider  the  utter  insufficiency  of  his 

resources,  but  laid  the  blame  of  every  reverse  upon  him.     Hut  when  the  tide 

of  battle  had  turned,  and  Washington,  with  his  well  disciplined  army,  was 

moving  on  the  offensive,  and  victory  brought  glory  to  him,  they  feared  that 

he  would  become  too  powerful,  and,  like  other  conquerors,  assume  kingly 

prerogatives.     His  army  loved  him  with  a  fervor  that  amounted  almost  to 

idolatry,  and  he  had  but  to  speak  the  word  and  they  would  rise  to  hail  him 

king.      The    country   feared   that   he   might   prove   another  example   of    a 

successful  military  chieftain,  who  would  be  actuated  by  the  lawless  and  vulgar 

lust  of  power  which  has  disgraced  the  pages  of  history.     But  when  the  war 

was  over,  Washington  sheathed  his  sword  and  resigned  his  commission.     He 

had  refused  to  receive  pay  for  his  ser'''ces,  and  rendered  to  Congress  a  bill  of 

his  actual  expenses,  kept  with  neatness  and  precision,  fo'   the  whole  period 

from   the  time  he  assumed  command  to  the  close   of  the  war.     He   then 

retired   to   cultivate   the   affection   of    men,   and   to   practice   the   domestic 

virtues.     He  attended  to  his  farm,  and  was  thankful  to  escape  the  burden  of 

responsibility  which  official  position  must  bring.    This  exhibition  of  noble 

grandeur  in  its  wonderful  simplicity,  endeared  him  forever  to  the  hearts  of  the 

American  people.     Mount  Vernon  was  to  become  the  shrine  to  which  the 

feet  of  patriots  would  turn,  and  where  the  measure  of  American  devotioi 

would  be  full.     George  Washington  had  won  the  proudest  place  in  the  hearts 

of  his  countrymen.     The  family  of  generals  who  composed  his  staff  and  his 

immediate   companions   loved  him   as  a  brother,   and  the  common   soldier 

regarded  him  as  much  more  than  an  ordinary  being,  and  his  presence  would 

inspire  them  with  intense  enthusiasm.      The  great  mass  of  the  people  all 

over  the  country  hailed  him  as  the  deliverer  of  his  country,  and   esteemed 

him  above  all  glorious  names  of  those  who  had  won  the  independence  of  the 

country.     Washington  and  Lafayette  were  the  two  names  that  blended  in  all 

the  public  addresses  and  orations  of  the  period,  and  rested  alike  upon  the  lip? 

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ASHINGTON  and  the  leading  minds  of  this  period 
saw  the  great  need  of  modifying  or  changing  the 
articles  of  confederation  which  had  held  the  thirteen 
States  so  loosely  together.  Congress  (Vas  only  a 
name,  and  the  league  held  the  States  only  for  a 
moment ;  it  might  be  sundered  by  any  one  or  more 
of  them  at  will.  The  lovers  of  their  countrv  could 
discover  at  a  glance  that  there  was  imperative  need  of  a  central 
government  which  should  exercise  power  over  all,  and  be  respected 
by  all.  In  the  absence  of  such  a  government,  the  liberties  of  the 
people  would  be  constantly  in  danger  from  internal  dissension 
within  and  foreign  foes  without.  Some  one  might  rise  with  the 
power  to  make  himself  king.  Conspicuous  among  those  who 
shared  this  view  with  Washington,  was  a  New  York  man  who  had 
entered  the  army  at  nineteen,  and  had  been  the  friend  and 
companion  of  Washington  through  all  the  war,  Alexander 
Hamilton.  He  had  risen  to  high  rank  in  command,  and  afterward  to  high 
position  in  office.  He  had  brought  order  from  the  utter  financial  chaos 
which  threatened  the  very  existence  of  the  army  and  country.  It  was  he 
who  first  proposed  the  CONSTITUTION  OF  THE  UNITED  States.  He 
was  the  firm  friend  and  staunch  ally  of  Washington  all  through  the 
troublous  times  that  tried  the  very  life  of  the  infant  nation.  Hamilton  was  a 
brave  and  skillful  soldier,  a  brilliant  debater,  a  persuasive  writer  and  a  true 
statesman. 

At  the  suggestion  of  Washington,  a  convention  to  remedy  the  defects  of 
the  articles  of  confederation  was  called  to  assemble  at  Annapolis,  Maryland, 
in  September,  1786;  only  five.  States  sent  delegates.  John  Dickinson  was 
appointed  chairman.  They  did  little  except  to  appoint  a  committee  to  revise 
the  articles,  and  adjourn  with  a  recommendation  to  Congress  to  call  the 
meeting  of  a  convention  in  Philadelphia  the  following  May,  to  complete  the 
work.  Congress  recommended  the  several  States  to  send  delegates  to  such  a 
convention.  The  convention  met  with  delegates  from  all  the  States  except 
New  Hampshire  and  Rhode  Island,  but  they  had  not  gone  far  before  they 
found  that  no  amount  of  amending  and  tinkering  could  make  the  old 
'•  Articles  of  Confeucration  "  serve  the  purpose  of  a  permanent  government. 
For  a  number  of  days  there  was  no  progress.  Such  was  the  great  variety 
and  difference  in  opinion  that  everything  was  at  a  standstill.  Franklin  urged 
the  necessity  of  imploring  Divine  assistance  in  a  memorable  speech.    "  How 


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1787] 


THE  CONSTITUTIONAL  PERIOD. 


275 


has  it  happened,  sir,"  he  said,  "  that  while  groping  so  long  in  the  dark,  divided 
in  our  opinions,  and  now  ready  to  separate  without  accomplishing  the  great 
object  of  our  meeting,  that  we  have  hitherto  not  once  thought  of  humbly 
applying  to  the  Father  of  Lights  to  illuminate  our  understandings  ?  In  the 
beginning  of  the  contest  with  Britain,  when  we  were  sensible  of  danger,  we 
had  daily  prayers  in  this  room  for  Divine  protection.  Our  prayers,  sir,  were 
heard  and  graciously  answered.  *  *  *  Jhe  longer  I  live,  the  more 
convincing  proofs  I  see  of  the  truth  that  God  governs  in  the  affairs  of  men. 
I  therefore  move  that  henceforth  prayers,  imploring  the  assistance  of  Heaven 
and  its  blessings  on  our  deliberations,  be  held  in  this  assembly  every  morning 
before  we  proceed  to  business."  It  was  adopted.  After  long  and  earnest 
discussion  the  convention  referred  all  papers  to  a  committee  of  detail,  and 
adjourned  for  ten  days.  They  reassembled  and  the  committee  reported  a 
rough  draft  of  the  present  constitution.  Amendments  were  made,  long  and 
angry  discussion  followed,  and  the  whole  matter  was  referred  to  a  committee 
for  final  revision.  This  final  report  was  made  September  I2lh,  1787,  and  the 
Constitution  was  submitted  to  the  Legislatures  of  the  several  States  for 
adoption.  The  convention  had  worked  for  four  months,  and  was  composed 
of  the  ablest  and  best  men  in  the  country.  George  Washington  was  the 
president;  Benjamin  Franklin  brought  the  ripe  experience  of  eighty-two 
"CRrs  to  this  crowning  task  of  a  noble  life.  Alexander  Hamilton  came  from 
And  with   such  men  came   many  whose  names  are  held  in 


.ew 


V--1. 


endu.!.  ;  honor  by  a  grateful  people.    These  men  were  the  peers  of  any  in 

the  country,  and  this  assembly  had  not  seen  its  equal  since  the  convention 

which  published  the  "  Declaration  of   Independence "  had  met  in  the  same 

hall  eleven  years  before.     Their  great  work  had  gone  out  to  the  country,  and 

the  people  were  divided   in  sentiment   upon  it.      There  were  many  true 

patriots  and  lovers  of   their  country  who  were  opposed  to  it.     They  were 

strong  in  their  argument,  and  conscientious  in  their  opposition.    Some  feared 

the  most  those  evils  which  would  arise  from  a  weak  government,  and  sought 

relief    from   this  in   a  close   union    of    the  States    under   a  strong  central 

government,  and  some  feared  the  example  of  the  over-governed  nations  of 

Europe  and  hesitated  to  give  too  much  power  to  the  central  government  for 

fear  that  a  despotism  might  arise.     State  sovereignty,  sectional  interests,  and 

radical  democracy,  all  had  their  advocates,  and  were  united  only  in  opposing 

the  ratification.     Hamilton  wrote  pamphlets  and  articles  for  the  public  press 

in  its  favor.     Washington  threw  the  whole  weight  of  his  influence  in  its  favor. 

Thomas   Payne  sent  out  his  powerful  argument  in   the  "Crisis,"   and  the 

excitement   ran  high.     Somewhat   reluctantly,*  and  in  many  cases  by  bare 

majorities,  the  States  all  ratified  it,  and  it  became  the  organic  law  of  the 

land.    At  once,  ten  amendments  were  proposed  and  accepted,  to  meet  the 

views  of  those  who  were  apprehensive  of  too  much  power  in  the  central 

government,  and  a  trial  of  its  powers  for  nearly  a  century  has  demonstrated 

the  wisdom  of  those  men  who  devised  it,  and  asked  the  blessing  of  God  upon 

their  deliberations. 


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276 


THE  CONSTITUTIONAL  PERIOD. 


[1787 


This  constitution  is  the  supreme  law  of  the  land.  Under  its  authority 
the  President,  the  Congress,  the  judiciary  act,  and  all  the  laws  passed,  must 
be  in  conformity  to  it.  Congress  may  pass  an  act  unanimously  and  the 
President  heartily  i'^n  it,  but  if  the  Supreme  Court  decide  that  it  is  contrary 
to  the  Constitution,  it  has  no  binding  force  as  law,  and  can  never  be  executed. 
The  great  love  of  law  which  predominates  in  the  Anglo-Saxon  race  has 
caused  a  reverence  for  this  document  which  rouses  the  nation  to  arms  when 
once  it  is  assailed. 

When  eleven  States  had  ratified  this  Constitution,  the  Continental 
Congress  took  measures  to  carry  it  out,  and  fixed  the  time  for  choosing  the 
electors  of  President  and  Vice  President.  They  provided  for  an  organization 
of  the  new  form  of  government,  and  a  transfer  of  their  power.  On  the 
fourth  day  of  March  the  National  Constitution  became  the  supreme  !aw 
of  the  land,  and  the  Continental  Congress  passed  out  of  existence.  This  was 
the  commencement  of  the  glorious  career  of  the  United  States  as  a  nation. 

One  thing  we  should  mention  before  passing  to  the  Administration  of  the 
first  President.  The  old  Congress  had  organized  a  territorial  government  for 
the  vast  region  northwest  of  the  Ohio  river.  In  the  bill  in  which  this  was 
done  there  were  many  important  provisions.  It  contained  a  provision 
striking  at  the  old  English  law  of  primogeniture,  in  which  estates  descended 
to  the  eldest  born,  and  instead  this  law  divided  the  property  among  all  the 
children,  or  the  next  of  kin.  It  also  declared  that  "  there  shall  neither  be 
slavery  nor  involuntary  servitude  in  said  territory,  otherwise  than  in 
punishment  for  crime  whereof  the  party  shall  be  duly  convicted."  This  was 
adopted  July  13th,  1787,  and  at  once  a  mighty  tide  of  immigration  began  to 
flow  into  that  fertile  region,  amounting  to  twenty  thousand  in  one  year 
1788. 


1789]  THE  CONSTITUTIONAL  PERIOa 


THE  ADMINISTRATION  OF  WASHINGTON. 


HEN  the  vote  of  electors  was  opened  by  Congress  it 
was  found  that  George  Washington  had  been  unani 
mously  elected  for  President,  and  John  Adams  for 
Vice  President  of  the  United  States. 

There  was  much  work  to  be  done  to  get  the  new 
machine  of  government  into  working  order.  The 
first  serious  question  was  what  to  do  with  the  public 
debt.  Washington  was  perplexed,  and  with  a  sigh  asked  a  friend, 
"  What  is  to  be  done  about  this  heavy  debt  ?  "  "  There  is  but  one 
man  in  America  can  tell  you,"  replied  his  friend,  "  and  that  is 
Alexander  Hamilton."  The  subject  of  the  tariff  was  brought  forward 
by  James  Madison,  the  acknowledged  leader  of  the  House  of 
Representatives,  two  days  after  the  vote  of  President  and  Vice 
President  had  been  counted.  He  proposed  a  tax  on  tonnage  and  a 
duty  on  foreign  goods  brought  into  the  United  States,  that  were 
favorable  to  American  shipping.  Then  three  executive  departments 
were  organized,  namely,  of  the  Treasury,  of  War,  and  of  Foreign  Affairs,  at  the 
head  of  each  was  a  secretary.  These  were  to  be  appointed  by  the  President 
with  the  concurrence  of  the  Senate,  and  should  form  his  advisory  council,  and 
report  in  writing  when  required.  Alexander  Hamilton  was  appointed 
Secretary  of  the  Treasury.  He  was  the  most  able  financier  of  the  Revolution, 
and  made  those  remarkable  reports  which  for  twenty  years  formed  the  policy 
of  the  national  government.  He  proposed  the  funding  of  all  the  public  debt, 
registered  and  unregistered ;  the  payment  of  the  interest ;  the  redemption  of 
the  Continental  money,  and  the  assumption  of  the  State  debts.  The 
government  certificates  and  Continental  money  had  depreciated  from  their 
face  value,  and  were  held  by  speculators  who  had  bought  them  at  a  low  price, 
and  some  thought  that  the  government  ought  not  to  pay  full  price  for  them, 
but  Hamilton  wisely  claimed  that  the  public  credit  was  concerned  in  its  full 
redemption.  All  these  outstanding  debts  were  to  be  funded,  and  interest 
paid  at  six  per  cent,  until  the  government  should  be  able  to  pay  the  principal. 
A  sinking  fund  was  formd  by  appropriating  the  receipts  of  post  offices,  and  it 
was  prophesied  that  in  five  years  the  United  States  could  borrow  money  in 
Europe  at  five  per  cent.  A  system  of  revenue  from  imports  and  internal 
duties  was  devised  by  Hamilton,  and  all  his  proposed  measures  were  adopted 
by  Congress  at  their  second  session. 

While  the  House  was  at  work  on  the  revenues,  the  Senate  were  engaged 
on  the  problem  of  the  judiciary.  Senator  Ellsworth  of  Connecticut,  proposed 
a  measure  which  was  adopted  with  some  changes.  Webster  afterwards  said 
of  Hamilton,  in  his  eloquent  style,  "  He  smote  the  rock  of  natural  resources 


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278 


THE  CONSTITUTIONAL  PERIOD. 


[1789 


and  abundant  streams  of  revenue  gushed  forth.  He  touched  the  dead  corpse 
of  the  public  credit  and  it  sprang  upon  its  feet."  The  vigor  of  a  government, 
so  unlike  the  old  Congress,  renewed  the  public  confidence,  and  commerce 
began  at  once  to  improve.  Ships  were  built,  and  in  a  few  years  the  new  flag 
was  floating  on  every  sea  and  in  every  port.  The  people  at  home  were 
recovering  from  their  poverty  imposed  by  the  war.  Agriculture  and 
manufactures  were  prosperous,  and  a  steady  stream  of  immigration  from  the 
coast  westward  was  opening  up  the  wonderful  resources  of  the  regions 
beyond  the  Alleghanies  and  Ohio  river.  North  Carolina  and  Rhode  Island, 
the  only  two  States  which  had  not  adopted  the  Constitution,  now  came  into 
the  Union,  the  first,  November,  1789,  and  the  latter  May  29,  1790.  The  third 
session  of  the  first  Congress  met  in  December,  1790,  and  found  all 
departments  of  government  in  good  condition,  ample  revenue  coming  in, 
and  general  prosperity  on  all  sides.  During  this  session,  the  first  of  a  long 
list  of  States  which  should  come  in  to  swell  the  original  thirteen  was 
admitted.  Vermont  came  into  the  Union  February  i8th,  1791,  and  the 
territory  southwest  of  the  Ohio  was  formed.  A  national  currency  was 
established.  The  question  of  a  national  coinage  of  money  was  decided  at  the 
first  session  of  the  second  Congress,  and  a  mint  established  at  Philadelphia. 
The  post  office  department  was  organized  at  this  session,  but  the  Postmaster 
General  was  not  made  a  cabinet  officer  until  1829.  Most  of  the  first  term  of 
Washington  as  President  was  taken  up  in  getting  the  government  into 
working  order,  but  such  was  the  moderation,  wisdom,  and  patriotism  of  these 
grand  men  who  performed  this  gigantic  but  novel  work,  in  which  they  had  no 
model  to  guide  them,  that  but  few  changes  have  had  to  be  made,  and  none  of 
these  few  were  in  any  degree  radical. 

There  had  been  some  disturbance  with  the  Indians  in  the  northwest, 
incited  by  emissaries  from  the  British,  who  still  held  some  of  the  posts  on  the 
frontier,  contrary  to  the  provisions  of  the  treaty  of  Paris.  Open  hostilities 
began  in  1790,  and  General  St.  Clair,  the  governor  of  the  Territory,  with  two 
thousand  troops,  was  surprised  and  defeated  in  Drake  county,  Ohio, 
November  4,  I79i>  but  General  Anthony  Wayne  was  sent  to  take  command 
and  punish  the  savages,  which  he  did  so  effectually  that  they  caused  little 
trouble  until  the  war  of  1812-15.  Kentucky  was  admitted  to  the  Union 
June  1st,  1792. 

Party  spirit  assumed  definite  form  during  the  second  session  of  the 
Second  Congress,  just  as  the  first  term  of  Washington  was  coming  to  an  end. 
Alexander  Hamilton  and  Thomas  Jefferson  were  the  two  men  around  whom 
the  organizations  began  to  crystallize.  They  were  both  members  of 
Washington's  cabinet.  Hamilton  became  the  leader  of  the  Federalists  and 
Jefferson  of  the  Republicans.  The  Federalists  believed  in  a  strong  central 
government,  and  would  concentrate  the  power  of  the  national  government, 
while  the  Republicans  would  distribute  the  power  among  the  States. 
Hence  arose  the  strife  between  the  two,  and  the  country  was  being  stirred  by 
bitter  discussion,  and  in  the  heart  of  this  excitement  the  second  election  came 


of  the 
an  end. 
id  whom 
nbers  of 
ilists  and 
central 
'crnment, 
States, 
stirred  by 
ion  came 


1797] 


THE  CONSTITUTIONAL  PERIOD. 


279 


on.  Washington  and  Adams  were  re-elected  by  large  majorities.  The 
Republicans  were  gaining  in  numbers  and  strength,  and  when  the  French 
Republic  had  declared  war  against  England,  Spain  and  Holland,  Genet  came 
from  France  to  procure  aid  and  sympathy  from  America.  The  Republicans 
and  many  Federalists  received  him  with  open  arms,  and  he  began  to  fit  out 
privateers  to  fight  England  and  Spain.  Washington  prudently  issued  a 
proclamation  of  neutrality.  May  9th,  1793,  but  Genet  insisted,  and  tried  to 
excite  hostility  between  our  people  and  their  own  government.  Washington 
finally  requested  his  government  to  recall  him,  which  they  did,  and  the 
French  assured  the  United  States  that  their  government  disapproved  of  the 
course  Genet  had  taken. 

The  first  insurrection  against  the  government  arose  in  Pennsylvania,  and 
is  called  the  "  Whisky  Rebellion."  It  was  caused  by  Congress  imposing  an 
excise  duty  on  domestic  liquors.  This  measure  was  very  unpopular,  and 
awakened  opposition.  The  insurrection  broke  out  in  the  western  part  cf 
Pennsylvania  and  spread  over  all  that  portion  of  the  State,  and  into  Virginia. 
At  one  time  six  or  seven  thousand  men  were  under  arms.  The  local  militia 
were  powerless,  or  in  sympathy  with  the  rebels.  Washington  issued  two 
proclamations  to  them  to  disperse,  but  seeing  that  they  would  not  disband 
by  peaceful  means,  he  ordered  out  a  large  b<3dy  of  militia  from  New  Jersey, 
Pennsylvania,  Maryland  and  Virginia,  under  command  of  General  Henry  Lee, 
which  quelled  the  rebellion,  and  thus  the  trouble  that  had  threatened  the 
stability  of  the  nation  was  averted. 

Another  dark  cloud  arose  above  the  horizon.  England  and  America 
accused  each  other  of  infringing  upon  the  terms  of  the  treaty  of  1783.  The 
United  States  claimed  that  the  British  had  not  indemnified  them  for  negroes 
carried  away  at  the  close  of  the  war.  That  English  posts  on  the  frontier 
were  maintained  contrary  to  treaty.  They  had  been  inciting  the  Indians  to 
hostility,  and  in  the  war  with  France  the  neutrality  of  our  ships  had  been 
violated.  The  British  claimed  that  the  United  States  had  not  done  as  they 
agreed  concerning  the  property  of  loyalists,  and  the  debts  contracted  in 
England  prior  to  the  Revolution.  War  seemed  inevitable,  and  was  only 
averted  by  the  prudence  and  wisdom  of  Washington,  who  sent  John  Jay  as 
envoy  extraordinary  to  England  to  compromise  and  settle.  He  effected  the 
best  arrangement  he  could  by  which  the  British  might  collect  all  debts  actually 
due  them  before  the  war,  but  they  would  not  pay  for  the  slaves  taken  away. 
The  British  would  pay  for  unlawful  seizure  in  the  war  with  France,  and 
evacuate  the  forts  on  the  frontier.  This  was  not  satisfactory  to  most  of  the 
people,  but  congress  ratified  it  on  the  24th  of  June,  1795.  Soon  after  John 
Jay  proved  his  patriotism  by  concluding  a  treaty  with  Spain  by  which  the 
United  States  gained  tlie  free  use  of  the  Mississippi  River  and  the  port  of  New 
Orleans,  for  ten  years.  Through  the  whole  of  Washington's  administration, 
the  greatest  prudence,  circumspection  and  wisdom  were  needed.  No  sooner 
had  one  difficulty  been  surmounted  than  another  appeared.  The  infant 
commerce  which  was  spreading  all  over  the  world,  was  attacked  by  the 


J,- 


P 


i8o 


THE  CONSTITUTIONAL  PERIOD. 


[«797 


Algerian  pirates,  who  captured  large  numbers  of  American  sailors,  and  held 
them  in  white  slavery  in  the  Barbary  States,  until  their  ransom  was  paid. 
This  gave  rise  to  efforts  to  establish  a  navy.  After  many  attempts  had  been 
made,  Congress  finally  in  the  spring  of  1794,  passed  a  law  creating  a  navy 
and  appropriating  seven  hundred  thousand  dollars  to  build  and  equip  vessels. 
In  the  absence  of  the  proposed  navy,  the  United  States  in  common  with 
other  governments  entered  into  a  treaty  to  pay  the  Dey  of  Algiers  an  annual 
tribute  for  the  ransom  of  captives  taken  by  his  pirates. 

Washington's  administration,  which  was  drawing  to  a  close,  had  been  one 
of  incessant  care  and  action.  The  two  parties  that  had  arisen  during  his 
administration  were  ready  to  enter  the  political  contest  when  Washington 
issued  his  famous  Farewell  Address.  After  retiring  from  office  he  lived  fo  • 
three  years  at  his  home  in  Mount  Vernon,  and  died  December  i8th,  1799. 


THE  ADMINISTRATION  OF  JOHN  ADAMS. 

'HE  two  parties  had  but  little  time  to  engage  in  the 
contest  for. the  election  of  a  successor  to  Washington 
after  the  publication  of  his  Farewell  Address  in 
September,  for  the  election  came  in  November.  The 
contest  was  sharp  and  earnest,  and  resulted  in  a  victory 
for  both  sides.  John  Adams  was  elected  President, 
and  Thomas  Jefferson,  Vice  President.  They  were 
inaugurated  March  ^th,  1797,  and  were  confronted  at  the  very 
outset  of  their  administration  by  a  threatened  war  with  France. 
The  French  Directory  which  had  the  management  of  govern- 
ment at  the  time,  had  ordered  Pinckney,  the  American  minister, 
to  leave  the  country;  depredations  were  committed  upon 
American  commerce  and  the  French  minister  had  insulted  the 
United  States.  Adams  took  very  decided  and  active  measures 
to  redress  the  wrong.  He  sent  three  ministers  to  France  to 
settle  the  difficulty  with  Pinckney  at  their  head.  The  French 
would  not  treat  with  them,  and  the  Americans  made  ready  for 
war.  The  navy  was  finished  and  ships  put  in  commission.  A  large  land 
force  was  collected  and  equipped,  and  there  was  a  naval  battle  in  which  the 
French  man-of-war  was  conquered.  But  there  had  been  no  formal  declaration 
of  war,  and  the  French  Republic,  seeing  the  strong  position  of  the  United 
States,  receded  and  made  overtures  of  settlement.  Three  envoys  were  sent 
and  conferred  with  Napoleon,  and  concluded  a  treaty  of  friendship  and  peace. 
The  ambassadors  returned  to  A  merica,  and  the  army  was  disbanded. 

Two  very  unpopular  measures  were  passed  by  the  administration  known 
as  the  Alien  and  Sedition  laws,  which  they  were  obliged  to  repeal  the  next 
year. 

The  death  of  Washington  in  the  last  month  of  the  century  was  a  sad 


i8oi] 


THE  CONSTITUTIONAL  PERIOD. 


281 


bereavement  to  the  country,  and  every  party  voice  was  hushed  in  silence 
while  the  nation  did  honor  to  his  memory.  Napoleon,  then  First  Consul 
of  France,  rendered  universal  honor  to  his  memory  in  a  General  Order  to  his 
army  in  which  he  said,  "  Washington  is  dead  !  This  great  man  fought  against 
tyranny;  he  established  the  liberties  of  his  country.  His  memory  will  always 
be  dear  to  the  French  people  as  it  will  be  to  all  free  men  of  the  two  worlds ; 
and  especially  to  French  soldiers,  who  like  him  and  the  American  soldiers, 
have  combated  for  liberty  and  equality." 

The  Congress  of  the  United  States,  and  the  Legislatures  of  all  the  States 
united  with  the  whole  people  all  over  the  land  in  paying  the  highest  tribute 
to  his  memory. 

In  the  year  1800  the  .second  enumeration  of  the  population  was  taken, 
and  the  census  reported  5,319,762,  an  increase  in  ten  years  of  thirty  per  cent. 

There  came  another  election  in  which  party  spirit  ran  high.  The 
Democratic  party  nominated  Thomas  Jefferson  for  President  and  Aaron  Burr, 
Vice  President,  and  the  Federalists  John  Adams  and  C.  C.  Pinckney.  There 
was  no  election  in  the  electoral  college,  and  it  was  sent  to  the  House  of 
Representatives.  After  a  severe  struggle  in  which  thirty-five  ballots  were 
taken,  Mr.  Jefferson  was  elected  President,  Aaron  Burr  was  chosen  Vice 
President,  by  the  Senate. 

THE  ADMINISTRATION  OF  THOMAS  JEFFERSON. 

HE  inauguration  address  of  Mr.  Jefferson  was  waited  for 
with  much  anxiety  by  the  people  throughout  the 
country,  as  he  was  the  first  exponent  of  the  new  party 
who  had  been  raised  to  the  chief  magistracy  of  the  land. 
He  surprised  all  classes  by  the  manly  and  conservative 
views  which  he  uttered,  and  at  once  all  fears  were 
allayed.  Although  he  made  some  removals  from  office 
and  set  vigorously  at  work  to  reform  abuses  and  irregularities, 
his  measures  were  so  conciliatory  and  just  that  many  Federalists 
came  over  to  his  party  and  heartily  supported  his  adminis- 
tration. The  obnoxious  laws  were  repealed.  The  diplomatic 
system  was  put  on  better  footing,  the  judiciary  was  revised, 
certain  offices  were  abolished,  and  vigor  and  enlightened  views 
marked  the  beginning  of  his  term.  One  State  and  two 
territories  were  added  to  the  Union  in  his  first  term  of  office. 
Ohio  was  admitted  in  the  fall  of  1802,  and  the  territories  of 
Louisiana  and  New  Orleans  were  purchased  of  France  for 
fifteen  million  dollars.  This  bargain  was  effected  in  April,  1803,  and  the 
United  States  took  peaceful  occupation  of  the  land  in  the  autumn  of  the 
same  year.  It  contained  eighty-five  thousand  mixed  population  and  forty 
thousand  negroes. 

A  naval  expedition  was  sent  out  to  the  Mediterranean  to  put  an  end  to 


»:& 


■I'^M'*:* 


/^;  'i  ji  K 


282 


THE  CONSTITUTIONAL  PERIOD. 


[1801 


the  infamous  tribute    extorted    from  the   United   States,   to  redeem    the 
American  sailors  held  in  slavery  by  the  Barbary  States. 

Captain  Bainbridge  had  gone  to  Algiers  in  1800  with  the  tribute  money, 
and  when  it  was  paid  the  Dcy  demanded  the  use  of  his  ship  to  carry  an 
ambassador  to  Constantinople;  and,  when  Bainbridge  refused,  the  Dey' 
replied,  "  You  pay  me  tribute,  by  which  you  become  my  slaves,  and  therefore 
I  have  a  right  to  order  you  as  I  think  proper."  Although  the  captain  was 
obliged  to  comply  with  that  demand,  the  insult  resulted  in  a  severe 
punishment,  which  a  few  years  later  put  an  end  to  white  slavery  in  the 
Barbary  States.  It  is  hard  for  us  to  realize  that  even  in  the  nineteenth 
century  our  countrymen  have  been  held  in  great  numbers  in  the  most 
degrading  slavery  in  the  north  of  Africa.  The  merchantmen  who  displayed 
the  American  flag  made  their  appearar;  ,e  in  the  Mediterranean  directly  after 
the  Revolution.  The  pirates  of  the  Barbary  States  would  attack  them,  and 
when  captured  would  sell  them  into  slavery.  There  were  thousands  of  sailors 
from  New  England  and  the  Atlantic  coast  thus  held  when  the  century  began. 
The  indignation  of  the  United  States  was  aroused,  and  they  determined  to 
put  an  end  to  the  infamy,  which  the  government  of  Europe  had  long 
tolerated  at  their  very  doors.  In  1803  Commodore  Preble  was  sent  to  humble 
the  pirates.  After  bringing  Morocco  to  terms,  he  came  to  Tripoli.  There  he 
had  the  misfortune  to  lose  a  large  vessel,  the  Philadelphia,  which  struck  upon 
a  rock,  and  before  she  could  be  got  off  she  was  captured.  The  officers  were 
treated  as  prisoners  of  war,  but  the  crew  were  sold  into  slavery.  The  next 
year,  1804,  this  disaster  was  somewhat  repaired.  Lieutenant  Decatur  with 
seventy-six  volunteers,  entered  the  harbor  of  Tripoli  and  boarded  the 
Philadelphia,  drove  off  her  captors,  and  setting  fire  to  her,  made  their  escape 
without  losing  a  man.  This  gallant  act  received  ample  acknowledgment 
from  the  Navy  and  the  home  governm.ent. 

In  the  first  term  of  Mr.  Jefferson  the  first  exploration  to  the  Pacific 
was  organized,  and  sent  out  under  the  command  of  Captains  Lewis  and 
Clarke.    They  left  the  Mississippi  the  14th  of  May,  1804. 

Mr.  Jefferson  was  re-elected  for  a  second  term,  but  Mr.  Burr,  who  had 
displeased  the  Democratic  party,  was  not  nominated  by  them,  and  George 
Clinton  was  elected  Vice  President.  Burr,  in  anger,  and  feeling  that  he  had 
lost  the  confidence  of  the  people,  resolved  to  cause  a  revolt  in  the  regions 
southwest  of  the  Mississippi.  He  had  murdered  Alexander  Hamilton  in  a 
duel  July  12,  1804,  and  was  generally  abhorred  by  all  classes.  The  attempt  of 
Burr  against  the  Government  failed.  There  were  indications  of  a  war  with 
Spain,  but  it  was  providentially  averted.  The  United  States  were  continually 
irritated  by  the  British  claim  to  a  right  to  search  American  vessels  and  take 
away  any  suspected  deserters  from  their  army  or  navy.  An  act  of  partial 
non-intercourse  with  England  took  effect  November,  1806. 

In  i8o7j  the  first  steamboat  was  built  by  Robert  Fulton,  and  the 
application  of  steam  to  navigation  became  a  fact.  The  ominous  war  cloud 
that  threatened  the  country  grew  heavy  and  dark.    France  and   England 


8oi] 


THE  CONSTITUTIONAL  PERIOD. 


383 


»ere  at  war,  and  they  both  were  inflicting  injury  and  insult  upon  our  young 
ut  thriving  commerce.  England  still  seized  and  searched  American  vessels, 
5sued  orders  and  decrees  against  commerce,  proclaimed  blockades  on  paper, 
nd  was  crippling  the  marine  interests  of  the  United  States,  in  order  to 
prevent  them  from  reaping  any  benefit  from  the  French  carrying  trade. 
Napoleon  retaliated  with  like  orders,  decrees,  and  paper  blockades,  and  between 
jhe  upper  and  nether  millstones  of  these  two  powers  the  commerce  of 
America  was  being  ground  to  pieces.  The  crisis  came.  Four  seamen  of  the 
United  States  man-of-war,  Chesapeake^  were  claimed  as  deserters  from  the 
British  ship,  Melampus,  and  Commodore  Barron  of  the  Chesapeake  refused  to 
give  them  up.  A  little  while  after  the  Chesapeake  was  unexpectedly  attacked 
by  two  English  vessels,  and  was  obliged  to  surrender  the  men.  This  aroused 
the  nation,  and  Jefferson  issued  a  proclamation  in  July,  1807,  that  all  British 
ships  should  leave  American  waters.  Great  Britain  continued  in  her  unjust 
course,  and  a  general  embargo  was  placed  upon  all  shipping,  detaining  all 
American  and  English  vessels  in  any  of  the  ports  of  the  United  States,  and 
ordering  all  American  vessels  in  other  ports  to  return  home,  that  their  seamen 
might  be  trained  for  war.  This  embargo  was  the  cause  of  great  distress,  and 
put  American  patriotism  and  firmness  to  a  severe  test.  Ihis  measure  failed 
to  accomplish  the  desired  result,  and  was  repealed  three  days  before  Jefferson 
retired  from  the  office  which  he  had  held  for  eight  years,  and  at  the  same 
time  Congress  passed  a  law  forbidding  any  commercial  intercourse  with 
France  and  England  so  long  as  their  unjust  orders  and  edicts  were  in  force. 
James  Madison  was  elected  President,  and  George  Clinton.  Vice  President  for 
the  n^xt  four  years. 


\i'^.\ 


m 


^iJi 


^1 


284 


THE  CONSTITUTIONAL  PERIOD. 


[1809 


THE  ADMINISTRATION  OF  JAMES  MADISON. 

rHERE  was  no  man  in  the  unprejudiced  judgment  of  the 
people  of  all  classes  better  fitted  to  administer  the 
government  in  this  period  of  gloom  and  doubt  than 
James  Madison,  who  had  been  the  Secretary  of  State 
under  Jefferson.  He  made  no  change  in  his  policy, 
and  pressed  the  claims  of  the  United  States  for  a  redress 
of  grievances  upon  both  England  and  France.  The 
latter  acceded  to  the  rights  of  America,  but  still  continued  to 
deal  in  a  covert  and  underhanded  way,  while  England,  in  a 
more  honorable  but  wicked  way,  persisted  in  her  right  to 
impress  and  search.  There  was  an  important  question  at 
issue  between  the  United  States  and  the  foreign  governments. 
It  was  the  right  of  changing  allegiance  from  one  country  to 
another.  England  held  that  a  man  born  under  her  flag  was 
forever  an  English  subject,  and  although  he  might  settle  in 
any  part  of  the  world,  he  could  claim  the  privileges  of  a 
British  subject,  and  was  bound  by  the  obligation  of  citizenship 
to  render  service  to  the  English  flag.  America  on  the  other  hand,  claimed 
that  a  man  had  the  right  to  choose  the  place  of  his  citizenship,  and  could 
renounce  his  allegiance  to  the  land  of  his  birth,  and  become  a  citizen  of  any 
country  he  should  choose  to  settle  in.  The  Englishmen  who  had  settled  in 
America  were  regarded  as  American  citizens  and  nothing  else.  She  would 
defend  the  rights  of  her  adopted  sons,  and  maintain  her  position  to  all  the 
nations  of  the  world. 

England  had  a  system  of  obtaining  seamen  for  her  navy  by  impressment ; 
that  is,  she  would  take  men  who  were  engaged  in  the  merchant  service  and 
compel  them  to  serve  on  her  men-of-war.  This  was  a  species  of  slavery,  and 
the  men  thus  obtained  would  embrace  the  first  opportunity  to  desert.  These 
desertions  became  frequent,  and  the  natural  refuge  in  America  was  in  most 
instances  sought,  and  the  protection  of  its  flag  obtained.  Now  it  was  very 
hard  to  distinguish  between  an  English  and  an  American  sailor,  and  when  the 
American  ships  were  searched  the  English  were  not  very  exact  as  to 
nationality,  provided  they  got  a  first  class  sailor.  Thus  things  went  on  until 
181 1,  when  the  British  sloop  of  war.  Little  Belt,  was  met  ofT  the  Virginia 
coast  by  the  American  frigate,  President,  and  was  obliged  to  pull  down  her 
flag,  after  a  severe  fight, 

This  same  year  an  Indian  revolt  broke  out  which  was  evidently  the 
result  of  English  intrigue.  All  the  frontier  tribes  were  engaged  in  it,  under 
a  crafty,  intrepid  and  unscrupulous  chief,  Tecumseh.  It  was  suppressed  by 
General  William  H.  Harrison,  who  thus  became  the  hero  of  Tippecanoe,  in  a 
severe  engagement  which  routed  the  whole  Indian  force.  The  nation  was 
now  ready  for  war.  England  had  an  immense  navy  of  nine  hundred  vessels 
with  one  hundred  and  forty-four  thousand  men,  while  America  had  twelve 


[i809 


1817] 


THE  CONSTITUTIONAL  PERIOD. 


285 


vessels,  which  mustered  about  three  hundred  guns.  It  seemed  the  wildest 
folly  to  cope  with  "  the  mistress  of  the  seas  "  at  such  a  fearful  odds,  but  th« 
rallying  cry,  "  Free  Trade  and  Sailors'  Rights  "  was  taken  up  from 
the  Lakes  to  the  Gulf,  and  war  was  formally  declared  June  19,  181 2.  The 
people  of  the  West  and  North  were  no  less  enthusiastic  than  on  the  seaboard. 
The  only  region  where  the  Federalists,  or  peace  party,  was  predominant 
was  in  New  England.  Congress  at  once  voted  an  appropriation  of  fifteen 
million  dollars  for  the  army,  and  three  millions  for  the  navy,  and  authorized 
the  President  to  enlist  twenty-five  thousand  regulars  and  fifty  thousand 
volunteers  for  the  army,  and  call  out  one  hundred  thousand  militia  for  the 
defense  of  the  coast. 


THE  SECOND  WAR  FOR  INDEPENDENCE. 

as  this  contest  was  rightly  named,  now  began.  Benjamin  Franklin  had  before 
this  said  to  a  friend  who  hr^d  called  the  Revolution  the  war  of  independence, 
"  Not  the  war  of  independence,  but  the  war  for  independence."  And  now 
the  second  act  of  the  grand  drama  was  to  be  presented  to  the  world.  There 
had  been  all  along  a  suspicion  that  England  had  not  relinquished  her  hope  to 
regain  the  colonies  she  had  lost.  The  constant  intrigues  with  the  Indians, 
the  subtle  arts  of  diplomacy,  and  her  heavy  armament  in  Canada  pointed  to 
this.  The  American  nation  was  watchful  and  jealous,  and  now  the  whole 
force  of  her  power  was  thrown  to  settle  the  question  of  nationality  forever. 
Four  days  after  the  declaration  of  war,  England  had  repealed  her  blockading 
decree,  and  there  remained  only  the  question  of  the  right  of  search  and 
expatriation.  The  British  minister  at  Washington  offered  to  peaceably  settle 
the  question  at  diflference,  but  his  proposition  was  rejected. 

The  first  attempts  in  the  war  were  signal  failures.  General  Hull  was  sent 
to  Canada  with  an  army  of  invasion,  but  no  sooner  was  he  on  Canada  soil 
than  he  was  obliged  to  surrender.  He  was  put  on  trial  before  a  court 
martial,  on  his  return  to  the  States,  found  guilty,  and  sentenced  to  be  shot. 
But  he  had  been  a  brave  officer  in  the  Revolution,  and  for  his  past  services 
he  was  pardoned.  His  reputation  was  afterward  vindicated,  and  the  cloud 
removed  from  his  fair  name,  but  he  retired  to  private  life.  The  war  had  been 
long  threatening,  and  in  this  time  Canada  was  fortifying  her  strong  points 
and  preparing  for  a  threatened  invasion.  The  able  generals  of  the  Revolution 
were  now  either  all  dead,  or  too  old  for  active  service ;  and  the  army  was  either 
under  the  command  of  men  who  had  been  inferior  officers  in  their  youth  and 
were  now  old  men,  or  of  men  who  had  seen  but  little  service  except  with  the 
Indians.  A  second  invasion  under  Colonel  Van  Renssellaer  was  equally 
unsuccessful.  The  whole  army  of  the  Northwest  had  surrendered,  and 
nothing  was  gained  at  that  point.  But  on  the  sea,  the  American  sailor  had 
dared  to  measure  strength  with  the  British,  and  had  been  remarkably 
successful  in  every  engagement  during  the  first  year  of  the  war.  In  spite  of 
the  tremendous  odds  in  the  navies  of  the  two  countries,  the  American  was 


'l-ii  ji 


!tt 


286 


THE  CONSTITUTIONAL  PERIOD. 


[1812 


gaining  victory  after  victory.      The  British  ship,  Guerriere,  had  been  taken 
by   the   frigate,   Constitution,   August  19,  18 12.    The  Frolic  had  struck  the 
English  flag  to  the  little  Wasp  October  iSth.     The  Macedonian  surrendered  to 
the  United  States  Ociober  25th,  and  the  Java  to  the  Constitution  December 
29th,  all  in  the  same  year.     This  rekindled  the  national  spirit,  and  made  up 
for  the  defeat  on  the  land.     The  country  was  justly  elated  by  these  successes, 
and  sustained  the  administration  by  re-electing  Mr.  Madison  to  a  second  term. 
The  second  year  of  the  war,  and  the  first  of  Mr.  Madison's  second  term, 
was  signalized  by  a  series  of  important  victories  by  the  Americans  in  Canada ; 
and  the  naval  victory  of   Commodore  Perry,  on  Lake  Erie,  by  which  the 
United  States  became  masters  of  the  Great  Lakes.     These  were  cheering  to 
the  Americans.    At  sea,  England  was  doing  her  best  to  retrieve  the  severe 
blows  she  had  received  the  year  previous,  and  regain  her  injured  prestige  as 
"  Monarch  of  the  Seas."    The  loss  she  had  met  the  autumn  before,  of  five 
ships,   was  a  heavy   blow  to   her  pride,  and   her   statesmen   regarded  this 
humiliation  as  greater  than  the  loss  of  so  many  battles.     No  other  country, 
before  this,  had  produced  sailors  equal  to  hers.     Now  she  had  met  her  first 
disasters  from  an  inferior,  and  strenuous  effort  must  be  made  to  undo  this 
disgrace.     The  British  nation  and  navy  felt  this,  and  put   forth  their  best 
endeavors  to  show  their  superiority.     Two  English  ships  came  to  Boston  in 
the    summer    of  181 3,  and  Captain    Broke    sent    a    challenge    to    Captain 
Lawrence  to  come  out  and  "  try  the  fortunes  of  their  respective  flags."    The 
English  captain  sent  one  of  his  ships  away,  and  with  the  Shannon  waited  for 
the  Chesapeake  to  come  out.     Captain  Lawrence  accepted  the  challenge,  and 
went  to  his  death.    The  fight  lasted  only  fifteen  minutes,  but  in  that  time  the 
Chesapeake  was  dismantled,  her  commander  killed,  and  her  flag  struck  to  the 
proud  ensign   of   Britain.      This  was  June   ist,   18 13.     This  same   Captain 
Lawrence,  who  exclaimed,  "  Don't  give  up  the  ship !  "  with  his  latest  breath, 
had  in  February  before,  taken  the  English   frigate,  Peacock,  with  the  sloop 
Hornet.    In  August  another  disaster  befell  the  American  navy.     It  was  the 
loss  of  the  Argus,  which  had  taken  Mr.  Crawford,  the  minister,  to  France, 
across  the  ocean,  which  was  obliged  to  surrender  to  the  Pelican.    The  tide  of 
victory  now  turned,   and   the   English   ship  Boxer  struck   her  flag  to  the 
Enterprise,  September  5th.    The  complete  naval  victory  of  Commodore  Perry, 
on  Lake  Erie,  in  which  he  captured  the  whole  English  fleet  of  six  vessels, 
followed.     When  the  year  closed,  the  balance  seemed  to  be  in  favor  of  the 
Americans.     On  land,  the  war  had  been  waged  with  varying  fortunes. 

The  English  had  talked  of  chastizing  America  into  submission,  and  the 
instrument  they  sent  was  a  squadron  under  the  command  of  Admiral 
Cockburn,  which  scattered  to  different  points  on  the  Atlantic  coast  and 
burned,  robbed  and  slaughtered,  xvithout  mercy.  In  April,  they  destroyed 
the  town  of  Lewiston,  on  the  Delaware ;  in  May,  Frenchtown,  Havre  de 
Grace,  Georgetown,  and  Frederickstown  on  the  Chesapeake,  and  all  along  the 
southern  coast  committed  their  fearful  work  of  depredation  and  pillage. 
Commodore  Hardy  was  sent  to  the  New  England  coast,  but  his  conduct 


i8i5] 


THE  CONSTITUTIONAL  PERIOD. 


287 


everywhere  was  in  strong  contrast  to  that  of  Admiral  Cockburn.  He  acted 
like  a  high-minded  gentleman  and  generous  enemy.  He  landed  at  Castine, 
Maine,  and  sent  a  land  force  up  the  Penobscot  to  capture  the  sloop  of  war 
Adams. 

The  war  was  now  carried  on  with  renewed  vigor  by  the  United  States 
and  men  and  money  were  furnished  without  stint.  The  Americans  were 
gaining  victories  and  matters  were  progressing.  Then  came  an  act  which 
was  most  reprehensible  and  unusual  in  the  annals  of  civilized  warfare,  for 
which  the  home  government  of  England  was  solely  responsible.  The  war 
with  Napoleon  had  ended  at  the  battle  of  Waterloo,  and  the  veterans  of 
Wellington  were  sent  to  America.  The  city  of  Washington  was  taken  by 
them,  and  acting  under  orders  the  people  were  commanded  to  pay  a  large 
sum  or  have  the  public  buildings  burned.  They  refused  to  pay  and  the 
Capitol,  Post  Office  building.  President's  mansion  and  other  buildings  were 
plundered  and  burned.  The  navy  yard  and  some  ships  in  process  of 
building  were  burned  by  the  Americans  themselves.  The  bridge  across 
the  Potomac  was  destroyed,  and  then  the  British  vandals  withdrew 
to  the  coast.  The  war  was  scattered  over  a  wide  theater  and .  the 
Americans  were  gaining  victories  here  and  there.  Commodore  Macdonough 
had  gained  a  complete  success  over  the  whole  English  fleet  on  Lake 
Champlain,  and  the  British  sailor  found  his  match  on  the  ocean  in  his 
Anglo-American  kinsman.  Both  sides  were  becoming  weary  of  a  devastating 
war  and  already  there  were  negotiations  for  peace.  The  treaty  was 
signed  in  December,  18 14,  and  sent  to  America,  but  before  it  had 
arrived  or  was  known  one  of  the  most  remarkable  battles  of  history  had 
been  fought  and  won.  This  deserves  record  and  we  will  here  give  a 
short  account  of  it. 

THE  BATTLE  OF  NEW  ORLEANS. 

If  there  had  been  a  submarine  telegraph  in  18 15  the  battle  of  New 
Orleans  would  never  have  been  fought,  and  much  English  blood  would 
have  been  saved.  The  treaty  was  signed  December  24th,  18 14,  and  it  was 
seven  weeks  before  the  news  came  to  the  southern  portions  of  America. 
New  Orleans  was  then  a  town  of  twenty  thousand  inhabitants  and,  as  now, 
the  center  of  a  large  cotton  trade.  The  English  Commander,  General  Packen- 
ham,  saw  that  it  was  an  important  point  and  decided  to  attack  it.  He  had 
the  best  English  troops  fresh  from  their  victories  in  Europe.  Andrew 
Jackson,  now  a  Major-General  in  the  army,  arrived  at  New  Orleans  December 
2d,  and,  declaring  martial  law,  soon  restored  confidence.  He  fortified  the 
city,  and  when  the  British  squadron,  bearing  twelve  thousand  soldiers,  made 
their  appearance  he  was  ready  to  give  them  a  good  reception.  On  the  23d 
of  December  he  met  the  advance  guard  of  the  army,  twenty  four  hundred 
and  routed  them  at  a  place  about  nine  miles  from  the  city,  then  he  returned 
to  a  stronger  position.  He  built  a  line  of  breastworks  of  cotton  bales  and 
earth  to  defend  New  Orleans,  and  awaited  the   attack   that    was    madf 


'  ill 


'T  ;i 


;¥«lJii:.J'  J, 


i 


it 


in 


' 


288 


THE  CONSTITUTIONAL  PERIOD. 


[1815 


Januii*/  5th,  181 5.  These  defenses  were  four  miles  from  the  city,  and 
guarded  the  advance.  General  Packenham  advanced  with  his  entire 
army,  urjer  the  best  military  discipline  in  the  world,  numbering  twelve 
thousand.  Jackson  had  less  than  six  thousand  men  and  the  most  of  them 
were  militta,  but  all  had  become  good  marksmen  in  the  western  woods.  All 
was  silent  as  the  grave  while  the  British  advanced  in  solid  column  to  carry 
the  works.  "  Trust  in  God  and  keep  your  powder  dry"  had  been  Jackson's 
advice  in  the  swamps  of  Florida,  and  now  his  men  were  putting  it  in 
practice.  Steadily  the  attacking  army  advanced  and  not  a  shot  was  fired 
until  they  were  half  a  gun-shot  distant,  and  then  a  terrific  fire,  every  shot  of 
which  did  good  execution,  burst  upon  the  assailants.  The  British  column 
wavered,  their  general  was  killed  and  they  fled  in  confusion  leaving  seven 
hundred  dead  and  more  than  a  thousand  wounded  on  the  field.  The 
fugitives  hastened  to  their  camp  and  ten  days  after  sailed  from  the  mouth  of 
the  Mississippi.  This  battle  saved  the  whole  South  from  invasion  and 
rapine  which  would  have  followed  before  the  news  of  peace  was  received. 

Thus  the  war  closed,  and  both  countries  could  point  with  pride  to  the 
heroic  courage  that  had  been  displayed  on  land  and  sea,  and  deck  their  brave 
defenders  with  the  medals  of  honor.  The  president  issued  his  proclamation 
that  peace  was  declared,  February  i8th,  181 5,  and  the  people  united  in 
celebrating  the  return  of  quiet  all  over  the  country.  Business  had  become 
prostrated,  the  ships  were  rotting  idly  at  the  docks  and  industry  was  at  a 
stand-still.  The  echoes  of  the  shouts  of  rejoicing  had  not  died  on  the  air 
before  the  ring  of  the  woodman's  axe  was  heard  in  the  forest  of  the  settler, 
and  the  sound  of  the  carpenter  in  the  deserted  shipyards.  Commerce  revived 
and  industry  lifted  up  its  head.  The  Americans  had  the  wonderful  powci  of 
rapid  recuperation  from  disaster.  The  treaty  was  not  all  that  America  could 
ask,  but  she  had  asserted  her  claim  and  maintained  her  rights.  Never  afterward 
was  a  sailor  taken  from  an  American  ship  as  an  English  deserter ;  sailors' 
rights  were  maintained,  and  the  flag  of  the  United  States  respected  as  never 
before.  The  Americans  had  lost  thirty  thousand  lives,  and  one  hundred 
millions  of  treasure,  while  England  had  suffered  much  heavier.  The  war  had 
been  a  gigantic  piece  of  folly  and  crime  such  as  we  trust  no  future  generation 
will  re-enact. 

During  Mr.  Madison's  term  and  after  the  peace  with  England,  the 
Algerian  pirates  thinking  that  the  power  of  the  United  States  on  the  sea  had 
been  broken,  began  their  depredations  again  and  were  violating  their  treaty. 
Commodore  Decatur  was  sent  to  punish  them  and  forever  put  a  stop  to  their 
infamous  trafllic.  He  bombarded  Tripoli  and  the  capitals  of  the  several 
Barbary  States  which  were  subject  to  Turkey,  brought  their  rulers  to  terms 
and  compelled  each  State  to  re-imburse  the  United  States  for  the  losses 
caused  to  American  shipping,  and  free  all  the  American  and  English  slaves 
held  by  them.    This  put  an  end  to  the  infamy  for  all  time. 

The  only  remaining  events  worthy  of  notice  during  the  remainder  of 
this    Presidential    term,  were  the  admission   of    Indiana    into    the    Union 


I8i7] 


THE  CONSTITUTIONAL  PERIOD. 


289 


December,  18 16,  and  the  chartering  of  a  United  States  Bank  with  a  capital 
of  thirty-five  million  dollars. 

The  new  election  resulted  in  the  choice  of  James  Monroe  as  President 
and  Daniel  D.  Tompkins  as  Vice  President. 


THE  ADMINISTRATION  OF  JAMES  MONROE. 

'HE  fifth  President  of  the  American  Republic  had  been 
the  Secretary  of  State  under  his  predecessor.  His 
administration  was  distinguished  by  the  rapid  growth  in 
material  wealth  and  population,  and  the  expansion  of 
all  the  resources  of  the  Republic.  The  manufactories 
of  the  United  States,  which  had  kept  busy  during  the 
war,  suffered  from  the  influx  of  foreign  goods,  and  were 
obliged  to  contract  their  work.  This  compelled  many  who 
had  been  engaged  in  them  to  seek  new  homes  in  the  fertile 
lands  beyond  the  Alleghanies  and  Ohio,  and  a  steady  and 
uninterrupted  flood  of  emigration  flowed  in  from  the  seaboard. 
New  States  and  Territories  were  formed  and  the  natural 
resources  of  the  country  were  being  developed  at  a  most  rapid 
rate.  Mississippi  was  admitted  into  the  Union  December  loth, 
1817;  Illinois  December  3d,  181 8;  Alabama  December  14th, 
1819;  Maine  March  3d,  1820;  Missouri  March  2d,  1821.  The 
buccaneering  pirates  that  infested  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  were 
surprised  and  put  down.  Florida  was  bought  of  Spain  for  seven  millions  by 
a  treaty  signed  at  Washington,  February,  18 19.  It  was  an  era  of  general 
prosperity  and  growth.  But  the  continued  presence  of  slavery  was  a 
menace  to  the  Union,  and  in  1821  the  measure  known  as  the  Missouri  Com- 
promise was  passed  through  Congress,  and  Missouri  was  admitted  as  a  slave 
State.  The  temporary  excitement  abated,  and  the  re-election  of  Mr.  Monroe 
and  his  associate,  was  the  most  formal  and  quiet  affair  ever  known  in 
American  politics.  His  administration  had  made  itself  popular  by  two 
measures  which  had  been  passed.  The  first  was  the  pensioning  of  all  the 
surviving  soldiers  of  the  Revolution,  their  dependent  widows  and  orphans, 
and  the  second,  the  settlement  of  the  boundary  line  from  the  Lake  o/*  the 
Woods  to  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

The  visit  of  Lafayette,  the  friend  and  companion  of  Washington,  to  this 
country,  in  which  he  was  the  nation's  guest  and  received  ovations  in  every 
town  and  city  through  which  he  passed,  occurred  in  1824-5.  He  was  every- 
where greeted  with  the  wildest  enthusiasm  and  met  men  who  had  served 
under  him  in  the  war.  He  saw  the  wonderful  improvement  on  all  sides,  and 
towns,  counties,  streets  and  public  institutions  on  every  hand  had  been  called 
after  him.    When  he  was  ready  to  return,  the  government  placed  at  his 


■.l!"li|'^pi!,> 


■im 


m  J 


^m 


m 


» 1 


f! 


290 


THE  CONSTITUTIONAL  PERIOD. 


[1817 


service  a  vessel,  named  after  the   battle   in.  which  he  first  fought  in  the 
Revolution — the  Brandywine. 

LAFAYETTE. 

THE  FRIEND  OF  HUMAN  RIGHTS  AND 
AMERICAN  FREEDOM  ! 

The  Marquis  de  Lafayette  was  born  in 
1757,  and  was  one  of  the  most  extraor- 
dinary and  influential  men  of  his  time.  He 
was,  in  the  fullest  sense,  a  member  of  the 
French  aristocracy,  and  a  gentleman  of 
fortune.  His  precocity  may  be  inferred 
from  the  fact,  that  at  the  age  of  fourteen 
he  displayed  marked  literary  ability,  and 
wrote  with  great  fluency.  When  but  six- 
teen he  married  ;  and  three  years  afterward, 
moved  by  a  love  of  liberty,  on  hearing  of 
the  struggle  in  which  the  American  Colonies 
were  engaged,  he  resolved  to  leave  wife, 
home  and  kindred,  and  draw  his  sword  on  the  side  of  the  oppressed.  Here 
was  a  sacrifice  at  the  shrine  of  human  freedom  ! — Young,  noble,  wealthy,  the 
friend  of  princes,  and  the  beloved  of  an  adored  and  beautiful  wife,  he 
separated  himself  from  all,  and  the  advantages  pertaining  to  his  rank,  to 
share  the  dangers  and  the  fate  of  the  brave  handful  of  half-starved,  half- 
naked  patriots,  who  dared  to  stand  up  for  the  right  in  the  face  of  one  of  the 
most  powerful  nations  in  the  world. 

His  freedom  of  action  in  this  relation,  however^  was  embarrassed, 
inasmuch  as  the  king,  who  objected  to  his  leaving  France,  ordered  his  arrest 
so  as  to  prevent  him  carrying  out  his  noble  project.  But  here  the  French 
monarch  was  powerless,  for  the  object  of  this  persecution,  having  fitted  out  a 
ship  at  his  own  expense,  escaped  to  it  in  disguise  after  untold  privations,  and 
after  having  once  been  recognized  by  a  young  girl  who  found  him  asleep  on 
some  straw,  but  who  never  once  thought  of  betraying  him. 

He  had  heard  of  the  loss  of  New  York  and  New  Jersey  to  the  Americans, 
but  this  only  served  to  increase  his  desire  to  hasten  to  the  relief  of  the  latter. 
And  so,  although  pursued  by  two  French  cruisers,  and  menaced  by  the 
English  men  of  war  on  the  coast,  he  escaped  all  dangers  and  landed  safely 
on  the  shores  of  South  Carolina.  Here  everything  was  novel  and  delightful 
to  him,  as  he  observed  in  a  letter  to  his  wife  shortly  after  his  arrival,  and  here 
V  "^on  met  Washington,  for  whom  he  formed  an  instant  and  abiding 
'  ^ship,  so  impressed  was  he  with  the  true  nobility  and  commanding 
virtues  of  that  great  and  mighty  man. 

When  Lafayette  first  saw  the  poorly  armed,  ragged  and  half-fed  forces  of 
America  in  line  before  him  at  Philadelphia,  nothing  could  exceed  his  surprise. 


1825] 


THE  CONSTITUTIONAL  PERIOD. 


291 


But  with  a  penetration  beyond  his  years,  he  perceived  in  this  stern,  self, 
sacrificing  and  dogged  array,  all  the  elements  of  future  success ;  and  this 
conviction  often  seemed  to  impart  strength  and  hope  to  any  whose  spirits 
tended  to  droop  beneath  the  weight  of  the  reverses  and  great  privations 
that  pressed  upon  them.  Washington  also  soon  began  to  discover  the  true 
metal  in  the  young  Frenchman  of  nineteen,  whose  sword  invariably  leaped 
from  its  sheath  at  the  word  of  command.  Hence,  when  but  twenty,  he  was 
made  a  Major-General. 

Lafayette's  sufferings  in  our  cause  were  severe,  and  his  labors  terrible.  He 
was  wounded  at  Brandywine,  and  lay  for  six  weeks  at  Bethlehem,  when, 
although  scarcely  able  to  move,  he  wrote  letters  constantly  to  France 
imploring  its  statesmen  to  attack  England  in  India  and  the  West  Indies. 
Before  his  wounds  were  healed  he  rejoined  the  army.  He  performed  in 
wiiiier  a  journey  on  horseback  of  four  hundred  miles  to  Albany ;  he 
commanded  at  Rhode  Island ;  fought  like  a  lion,  and  bore  all  the  hardships 
and  privations  of  war.  After  this  he  was  seized  with  a  violent  fever,  and 
seemed  for  weeks  at  the  point  of  death.  On  his  recovery  he  set  sail  for  his 
native  land,  from  Boston,  in  1780. 

On  returning  to  France,  he  was  received  with  open  arms  by  all  the  young 
nobles  of  liberal  views,  while  the  King  pardoned  him  and  sent  him  back  to 
America  with  a  promise  of  ships,  money,  clothes  and  men.  Once  again  he 
rejoined  Washington,  who  soon  trusted  him  beyond  all  others.  He  now 
commanded  in  Virginia  with  skill  and  bravery  against  Cornwallis,  and  with 
his  illustrious  chief  planned  the  campaign  which  resulted  in  the  taking  of 
Yorktown  and  the  close  of  a  long  and  painful  war. 

After  the  surrender  of  Cornwallis,  Lafayette  returned  to  France  once 
more,  when  the  Revolution,  prompted  by  the  ideas  and  the  success  of  the 
Americans,  began  to  move  in  its  tortuous  grooves.  He  was  now  the  favorite 
of  the  people,  and  was  all  powerful  in  the  land,  but  in  the  shadow  of  his  path 
crept  the  Marats,  Dantons  and  Robespierres  of  the  hour,  while  the  armies  of 
Europe  lay  in  front  of  him,  ready  to  crush  his  republican  projects.  He  was 
overpowered  and  constrained  to  fly  from  France  and  seek  shelter  on  foreign 
soil ;  but  instead  of  shelter,  in  a  friendly  sense,  he  found  himself  immured 
within  the  gloomy  walls  of  Olmutz,  where  he  remained  for  five  years.  For 
more  than  half  that  period  he  was  cut  off  from  all  communication  with  the 
world ;  and  could  not  even  learn  whether  his  wife  and  children  were  still  alive. 
At  length  his  wife,  who  had  barely  escaped  from  the  guillotine,  joined  him 
with  her  two  daughters,  and  shared  his  imprisonment — their  son  having  been 
sent  to  America  to  the  care  of  Washington.  Nor  was  it  until  the  armies  of 
France,  under  Napolean,  began  to  shake  Europe  that  they  were  released. 

He  now  became  a  leader  in  every  move  pertaining  to  the  advancement  of 
liberal  government,  and  cultivated  a  large  farm  at  La  Grange,  near  Paris, 
On  hearing  of  the  death  of  Washington  he  wept  bitterly;  and  in  1824-25, 
after  an  absence  of  forty  years,  he  again  visited  America,  but  this  time  with 
his  son.     His  reception  was  magnificent  beyond  measure — the  gratitude  of  a 


itilaiill^BM 

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292 


THE  CONSTITUTIONAL  PERIOD. 


[1825 


generous  nation  permeating  it  through  and  through.  He  visited  once  more, 
all  the  old  historic  places,  and  met  many  of  his  comrades  in  arms,  with  such 
intense  emotion  that  it  would  be  almost  profanation  to  attempt  to  put  it  in 
words.  On  his  return  to  France  he  still  stood  firm  in  the  principles  he  had 
espoused  and  fought  for ;  but  the  time  of  his  departure  was  drawing  nigh ; 
for  he  breathed  his  last,  in  hope  and  in  peace,  at  La  Grange,  in  1834,  leaving 
behind  him  a  character  for  all  that  was  noble,  self-sacrificing,  courageous  and 
just.  His  chateau  at  this  place  has  been  the  shrine  of  many  an  American 
pilgrim,  and  it  is  still  filled  with  reminiscences  of  the  land  he  loved  and  aided 
so  well.  He  left  one  son,  George  Washington,  and  two  daughters.  Edmund 
Lafayette,  who  visited  America  in  1881,  is  the  son  of  that  son,  and  the 
last  of  his  name.  The  portrait  which  we  give  here  of  the  illustrious  Marquis, 
is  from  an  engraving  published  by  his  family. 

ADMINISTRATION  OF  JOHN  QUINCY  ADAMS. 

'HE   election   of    1824,    resulted   in   no   choice   by  the 

people,    and    for    the    second     time    the    election    of 

President  was  referred  to  the  House  of  Representatives. 

They  elected  John  Quincy  Adams,  the   second  son  of 

Ex-President  Adams,  to  be  President.     John  C.Calhoun 

had  been  elected  Vice  President  by  the  people.   This 

administration  was  a  quiet  one  and  undisturbed  by  any 

very  serious  controversy.     The  trouble  between  the  State  of 

Georgia  and  the  general  government  growing  out  of  the  claims 

for  the   land  of    the   Creek   Indians,   and   their  removal,  was 

peaceably    adjusted.      The    National    Government    took    the 

position  of  defenders  of  the  Indians,  and  quietly  removed  them 

to  their  reservation  in  the  territory  set  apart  for  them. 

A  gigantic  work  of  internal  improvement  for  the  times  was 
undertaken  and  finished  in  the  State  of  New  York,  the 
building  of  the  Erie  Canal. 

A  remarkable  coincidence  occurred  in  the  year  1826.  John 
Adams  and  Thomas  JefTerson,  who  had  both  been  Vice  Presidents  and 
Presidents  of  the  United  States,  died  in  old  age  on  the  4th  of  July. 

The  fiftieth  anniversary  of  American  Independence,  July  4th,  1826,  was 
made  a  jubilee  through  the  entire  Union.  The  celebrations  were  of  the 
most  patriotic  nature,  and  reference  was  made  in  orations  and  addresses  to 
the  materal  expansion  of  the  Republic.  Better  occasion  for  a  jubilee  the  world 
had  never  known.  The  point  to  pause  and  look  back  had  come.  The  rapid 
growth  of  the  nation  was  unparalleled  in  the  history  of  the  world.  The 
thirteen  States  had  become  twenty-four,  and  the  area  of  the  country  nearly 
doubled.  She  could  look  out  upon  the  Atlantic  on  the  east,  and  the  Pacific 
on  the  west.     Her  right  was  undisputed  from  the  lakes  on  the  north,  to 


e  more, 
th  such 
Dut  it  in 
;  he  had 
g  nigh; 
,  leaving 
ous  and 
Lfnerican 
nd  aided 
Edmund 
and  the 
Marquis, 


MS. 

;   by  the 
iction    of 
entatives. 
id  son  of 
'.  Calhoun 
.pie.  This 
ed  by  any 
;  State  of 
the  claims 
noval,  was 
took    the 
3ved  them 

times  was 
York,  the 


1826,  was 
ere  of  the 
idresses  to 
e  the  world 

The  rapid 
orld.    The 

jtry  nearly 
the  Pacific 
north,  to 


n 


1829] 


THE  CONSTITUTIONAL  PERIOD. 


293 


the  gulf  on  the  south.  Two  wars  had  been  fought  and  won.  The  debt  we 
incurred  in  the  first  had  been  paid  and  the  second  war  debt  was  fast 
disappearing.  Prosperity  was  on  every  hand.  Canals  provided  an  avenue  for 
the  rich  grain  lands  of  the  West  to  the  seaboard  by  the  way  of  the  lakes  and 
the  Hudson.  A  steady  tide  of  emigration  westward,  had  opened  up  this 
boundless  region  to  civilization,  and  the  foreign  trade  of  the  country  had 
swollen  to  two  hundred  millions  per  year. 

THE  ADMINISTRATION  OF  ANDREW  JACKSON. 

HE  hero  of  New  Orleans  was  the  seventh  President 
of  the  United  States,  and  John  C.  Calhoun  was 
elected  Vice  President.  The  election  was  by  a  large 
majority.  His  inauguration  was  marked  by  incidents  of 
peculiar  interest.  He  came  to  the  Senate  Chamber 
escorted  by  a  few  survivors  of  the  Revolutionary  War, 
and  in  the  presence  of  the  heads  of  departments  and 
the  House  of  Congress,  addressed  them.  Then  he  retired  to 
the  eastern  portico  of  the  Capitol  and  there  received  the  oath 
01  office.  Andrew  Jackson  was  a  man  of  strong  passions, 
uncorrupt  heart,  and  an  iron  will.  His  instructions  to  the  first 
Minister  he  sent  to  England  is  a  type  of  the  man.  "  Ask 
nothing  but  what  is  right,  submit  to  nothing  that  is  wrong." 
His  audacity  annoyed  his  friends  and  alarmed  his  foes. 
There  were  nc  l  any  middle-men.  His  friends  loved  and  admired 
him  ;  his  opponents  hated  and  feared  him.  He  caused  an 
impassable  gulf  between  himself  and  his  enemies  which  no 
charity  could  bridge  over.  He  ruled  with  an  iron  hand  and  was  the 
firm  opponent  of  disunion  and  the  United  States  Bank.  The  first  thing 
which  came  up  was  the  settlement  of  the  Georgia  question  with  the  Cherokees. 
Jackson  was  in  favor  of  Georgia,  but  the  Supreme  Court  decided  in  favor 
of  the  Indians. 

At  last  General  Winfield  Scott  was  sent  to  remove  them  peaceably  if 
he  could,  but  forcibly  if  he  must.  But  General  Scott  by  his  justice  and 
moderation  accomplished  his  task  without  blood-shed.  The  Cherokees  were 
far  advanced  in  civilization,  and  had  churches,  schools  and  farms,  but  they 
were  induced  to  move  beyond  the  Mississippi. 

Jackson  was  an  implacable  foe  to  the  National  Bank.  He  attacked 
it  in  his  annual  message  in  1830,  and  in  183 1,"*  when  the  officers 
petitioned  for  a  renewal  oi  the  charter,  and  a 
been  passed  by  both  Houses  with  a  decided 
and  the  charter  expired  by  limitation  in  1836. 
threatened  and  business  was  injured. 

An  Indian  war  on  the  northwestern  frontier  broke  out  in  i832, 
known    as    the    Black   Hawk  War,    but    was    quickly    subdued.      A  more 


bill  for  this  purpose  had 
majority,  he  vetoed  it, 
A  commercial  panic  was 


kH 


%''4 


M'\i 


Wiiki' 


ii^ 


■myf 


294 


THE  CONSTITUTIONAL  PERIOD. 


[1837 


portentous  war  cloud  overhung  the  South.  The  cotton-growing  States 
were  opposed  to  a  protective  tariff  which  favored  the  North,  and  South 
Carolina  declared  by  law  that  the  national  tariff  laws  were  null  and  void 
within  that  State,  and  proclaimed  the  usual  threat,  that  any  attempt  to 
enforce  those  laws  in  Charleston,  would  be  met  by  opposition  and  the 
withdrawal  of  the  State  from  the  Union.  Preparations  were  made  for 
war,  and  it  seemed  as  if  civil  strife  was  at  hand.  Jackson  issued  his  famous 
proclamation  which  denied  the  right  of  any  State  to  nullify  the  laws  of  the 
United  States,  and  declared  that  the  laws  should  be  enforced,  and  any  one 
obstructing  them  would  be  guilty  of  treason  and  punished.  Then  South 
Carolina  came  to  its  senses,  and  rescinded  their  acts,  and  the  civil  war  was 
deferred  for  a  time. 

The  contest  of  the  President  with  the  United  States  bank  was  renewed. 
The  public  funds  were  removed  and  placed  in  State  banks.  The  amount  of 
paper  discounted  by  the  bank  was  contracted,  and  much  financial  trouble 
arose.  Jackson's  fear  of  the  moneyed  power  of  the  banks  was  prompted  by 
much  foresight  and  wisdom,  though  the  immediate  result  of  his  course  was 
disastrous  to  the  commercial  interests  of  the  country.  Then  came  the 
fearful  business  panic  of  1833-34,  in  which  hundreds  of  business  men  went 
down,  never  to  rise. 

There  arose  serious  difficulty  in  1835,  with  the  Indians  in  Florida.  The 
United  States  had  set  apart  a  territory  west  of  the  Mississippi  for  the  use  of 
all  the  Indians  east  of  that  river,  and  Congress  had  provided  for  their 
removal  to  that  territory.  We  have  seen  that  there  was  trouble  with  the 
Creeks  and  Cherokees  in  Georgia  upon  this  question,  and  now  the  Seminole 
tribe  were  in  open  war  in  reference  to  the  same  matter.  Osceola,  a  brave  but 
crafty  chief,  had  gathered  his  tribe  to  fight  the  whites  and  contest  the  right 
to  his  land.  We  cannot  see  how  he  could  do  otherwise  than  defend  the 
graves  of  his  fathers  and  the  homes  of  his  children.  The  story  of  the 
Indians'  wrongs  and  sufferings  is  a  dark  one  on  the  pages  of  our  history. 
General  Scott  was  sent  to  prosecute  the  war,  and  he  pushed  it  with  vigor 
until  the  Indians  were  nearly  exterminated,  and  the  remainder  forced  to 
submit.  A  war  lasting  seven  years  and  costing  millions  of  treasure  and 
thousands  of  lives  was  entailed  upon  the  country  and  the  incoming 
administration.  Jackson's  administration  was  marked  with  vigor  and 
decision.  He  had  compelled  France  to  fulfill  her  promise  to  pay  an 
indemnity  of  five  million  dollars  in  annual  instalments  for  the  losses 
sustained  to  American  commerce  by  the  decrees  and  orders  of  Napoleon. 

A  great  excitement  was  engendered  by  the  last  official  act  of  President 
Jackson.  The  issue  of  the  circular  to  all  the  custom  houses  ordering  that 
all  collectors  of  revenue  be  required  to  collect  duties  only  in  gold  and  silver. 
This  special  circular  was  denounced  as  arbitrary  and  tyrannical,  as  it  bore 
heavily  on  every  kind  of  business.  Congress  passed  a  law  for  its  repeal  but 
th|e  President  kept  it  without  signing  until  after  the  final  adjournment  of 
Congress.     Jackson    did    this    to    prevent    speculation    and    for    what  he 


i84i] 


THE  CONSTITUTIONAL  PERIOD. 


295 


considered  wise  reasons,  but  it  caused  a  bitter  feeling  against  him.    Arkansas 
and  Michigan  were  added  to  the  Union  during  Jackson's  term  of  office. 


THE  ADMINISTRATION  OF  MARTIN  VAN  BUREN. 

'HE  inauguration  of  the  eighth  President  of  the  United 
States  seemed  to  mark  the  dawn  of  a  new  era  in  its  his- 
tory.   The  Presidents  prior  to  him  had  all  been  descend- 
ants of  the  English,  but  Martin  Van  Burcn  was  a  de- 
scendant of  an   old  Dutch   family  and  was  born   after 
the  American  conflict.     When  he  was  inaugurated  he 
found  the  country  on  the  verge  of  a  disastrous  com- 
mercial panic  which  swept  all  over  the  land.     The  immediate 
measures  for  the  relief  of  the  panic  of   1833-34  was  only  tem- 
porary.   The  funds  taken   from  the  United   States  Bank  and 
lodged  in  State  banks  were  loaned  upon,  and  /or  a  little  time 
the  relief  was  felt  in  business  circles,  but  this  only  sowed  the 
seeds  of  a  commercial  disorder  which  would  bring  its  fearful 
harvest  in  the  future.     The  banks,  thinking  these  funds  might 
be  regarded  as  so  much  capital,  loaned   money  freely  and  a 
sudden  expansion  of  the  currency  was  the  result.     In  January 
the  Secretary   of  the   Treasury  was  authorized   to   distribute 
all  the  funds  of  the   United   States  among  the  several   States  in   propor- 
tion to  population  reserving  five  million   dollars.     Consequently  they  were 
withdrawn    from   the  banks  January    ist,    1837,   and   an  immense   financial 
pressure  was  the  immediate  result.     May  loth  the  banks  suspended    specie 
payment  and  a   panic  ensued  which  prostrated   all  kinds  of  business.      An 
extra  session  of  Congress  was  called  to  afford  relief,  September,  1837.     They 
issued  treasury  notes  to  the  amount  of  ten  million  dollars.    A  disturbance 
broke  out    in    Canada    in    1837  which    threatened   to    involve    the    United 
States.    An  attempt  was  made  to  establish  this  province   into  an  indepen- 
dent State  and  the  laws  of  neutrality  were  violated  by  those  in  the  States  who 
sympathized  with  the  movement.     A  secret  organization  known  as  Hunting 
Lodges  was  formed.     The  British  government  held  the  United  States  respon. 
sible  for  this  breach  of  neutrality,  and  the  war  cloud  overhung  the  northern 
border  for  about  four  years.     The  next  election  resulted  in  the  elevation  of 
the  whig  candidate,  William    H.   Harrison,  the  hero  of   Tippecanoe,  to  the 
Presidency.     The  campaign  had  been   spirited  and  intense.    The  battle  cry 
of  this  party  had  been  "Tippecanoe  and  Tyler  too."     Personal   abuse  and 
vituperation   united  to  make  the  canvass  scandalous  and  offensive. 


:«   ^1 


M 


UM 


II  ! 


296  THE  CONSTITUTIONAL  PERIOD.  [1841 

ADMINISTRATION  OF  HARRISON  AND  TYLER. 

KNRRAL  WILLIAM  H.  HARRISON  was  an  old 
man  when  inaugurated  and  had  passed  through  many 
hardships  in  the  Indian  wars,  but  he  was  vigorous  and 
active  with  the  prospect  of  a  number  of  years  of  life. 
His  inaugural  address  was  well  received  and  his  cabinet 
chosen  and  confirmed.  The  only  official  act  he  per- 
formed was  to  call  an  extra  session  of  Congress  to  meet 
in  May  to  confer  upon  the  financial  condition  of  the  country  and 
its  revenue.  He  died  just  one  month  after  taking  the  oath  of 
office — April  4th,  1841,  and  the  Vice  President,  John  Tyler, 
succeeded  to  that  position.  Mr.  Tyler  retained  the  cabinet  of 
General  Harrison  until  after  the  extra  session  of  Congress  which 
had  been  called.  At  this  session  measures  for  the  relief  of  the 
commercial  troubles  of  the  country  were  adopted.  The  sub- 
treasury  act  was  repealed  and  a  bankrupt  law  was  passed.  The 
chartering  of  a  Bank  of  the  United  States  was  defeated  by  the  veto  of  the 
President,  who  like  Jackson  saw  great  danger  in  the  system.  This  led  to  a 
violent  censure  of  the  Executive  by  his  own  party,  and  to  the  resignation  of 
his  Cabinet.  In  1842  the  retu.-n  of  the  United  States  Exploring  Expedition 
from  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  the  settlement  of  the  boundary  line  on  the  north- 
east frontier  of  Maine,  the  re-modifying  of  the  tariff  and  the  domestic  difficul- 
ties in  Rhode  Island,  were  events  of  public  interest.  A  tariff  for  revenue 
only  was  adopted.  The  boundary  line  of  Maine  was  fixed  by  the  Webstcr- 
Ashburton  treaty,  giving  the  United  States  jurisdiction  over  a  large 
part  of  the  disputed  territory,  Rhode  Island  had  some  difficulty  in 
forming  a  State  Constitution  which  divided  the  citizens  into  two  parties,  the 
"suffrage  "and  the  "law  and  order"  party.  The  threatened  rupture  caused 
the  governor  to  invoke  the  aid  of  the  general  government,  and  the  adminis- 
tration  favored  the  "  law  and  order "  party,  which  resulted  in  the  adoption 
of  a  constitution  in  November,  1842.  The  old  charter  from  England  had 
been  in  force  up  to  this  time  but  the  new  constitution,  more  in  accord  with 
the  system  of  government  in  the  other  States,  went  into  effect  the  first 
Tuesday  in  May,  1843. 

Texas  was  an  independent  State,  and  was  seeking  admission  to  the 
Union,  but  on  account  of  the  introduction  of  slavery  into  its  constitution 
there  was  strong  opposition  to  it  in  the  North.  A  treaty  for  its  admission 
was  signed  April  12th,  1844,  but  was  rejected  by  the  Senate.  The  subject  then 
came  up  in  the  form  of  a  joint  resolution,  which  passed  both  Houses  of  Con- 
gress March  1st,  1845,  and  was  signed  by  Mr.  Tyler.  This  question  had 
entered  into  the  election  of  1844,  and  James  K.  Polk,  one  of  the  candidates 
for  President,  who  was  pledged  to  the  measure,  was  elected  by  a  decided 
majority.  The  last  official  act  of  Mr.  Tyler  was  to  sign  the  bills  for  the 
Admission  of  Florida  and  Iowa  into  the  family  of  States,  March  3rd,  1845. 


1845 


THE  CONSTITUTIONAL  PERIOD. 


vyr 


\DMINISTRATION  OF  POLK,  AND  MEXICAN  WAR. 

'HE  absorbing  matters  which  demanded  the  immediate 
attention  of  the  new  administration  was  the  annexation 
of     Texas,     and    the    settlement    of      the     northwest 
boundary  on  the  northern  line  of  Oregon.      President 
Tyler  had  sent  a  messenger  to  the  Texan  government 
informing    them    of    the    action    of  Congress,    and    a 
convention   was   called   to  accept   the    measure.     They 
adopted  the  State  Constitution  July  4th,  1845,  and  the  Lone 
Star  was  added  to  the  American    constellation.      The   other 
question    received   (immediate    attention.      A    vast    territory 
between   the    Rocky  Mountains   and   the   Pacific  Ocean,    had 
been  in  dispute  between   England  and  the  United  States.     In 
1818  they  had  agreed  to  occupy  the  bays,  harbors  and  rivers 
in  common.     This  was  renewed  in  1827  for  an  indefinite  period, 
with  the  promise  that   either   government    might    rescind   on 
giving  a  year's  notice  to  the  other.     The  United  States  gave 
such  notice  in    1846.      The   United   States  and  Great  Britain 
each  claimed  the  whole  territory  to  54  degrees  and  40  minutes  north  latitude, 
and  the  cry  was  "  54-40  or  fight,"    but  at  last  a  peaceful  settlement  was 
agreed   upon   on  the  49th   parallel   of  north  latitude.      The  annexation  of 
Texas  as  had  been  predicted,  caused  a  rupture  between  the  United  States 
and    Mexico.      The   latter    government   still    claimed   the   right    to  Texas 
although    it   had   been  acknowledged   to   be   an   independent  State  by   the 
United    States,    England,    France   and   other  governments.      The    Mexican 
Minister  at  Washington  demanded  his  pass-ports,  and  on  June  4th,  1845,  ^^ 
President   of  Mexico    issued   his   proclamation,    declaring   his    intention   to 
appeal  to  arms.    The  United  States  had  also  other  questions  to  settle  with 
that  Republic,  growing  out  of  her  treatment  of  United  States'  citizens.    The 
American  army  was  sent  to  the  extreme  southeastern  confines  of  Texas,  and 
erected  a  fortification  within  easy  range  of  the  city  of  Matamoras.     General 
Zachary  Taylor,  was  sent  by  the  President  to  take  command  of  the  forces 
there.     "  An  army  of  occupation"  was  organized  and  entered  the  territory  of 
Mexico.    The   first   blood   was   shed   at  Fort  Brown,   which   the    Mexicans 
cannonaded  and  attacked  with  a  superior  force  after  General  Taylor  had  been 
ordered   by  the   Secretary   of   War  to  advance    on    Corpus    Christi.    The 
Commander,  Major  Brown  was  mortally  wounded,  and  a  signal  was  given  for 
General  Taylor  to  return.     He  met  and  overcame  an  army  of  six  thousand 
Mexicans  under  Arista,  at  Palo  Alto,  and  hastened  toward  Fort  Brown.    The 
next  day  he  overtook  and  conquered  a  strongly  fortified  army  at  a  place 
called  Resaca  de  la  Palma,  a  number  of  prisoners  were  taken  and  the  army 
of  Northern  Mexico  was  completely  broken  up.      These  two  battles  were 
fought  on  the  7th  and  the  9th  of  May.    When  the  news  of  this  first  blood- 


l-iSI 


298 


THE  CONSTITUTIONAL  PERIOD. 


[1845 


I 


shed  reached  New  Orleans  the  land  was  aroused.  Congress  had  declared, 
"  by  the  act  of  the  Republic  of  Mexico  a  state  of  war  exists  between  the 
United  States  and  that  government,"  and  authorized  the  Executive  to  raise 
an  army  of  fifty  thousand  volunteers,  and  appropriated  ten  million  dollars 
toward  defraying  the  expenses  of  the  war.  The  war  with  Mexico  was  a 
series  of  victories  for  the  United  States.  The  Mexicans  were  driven  out  of 
Matamoras  May  i8th.  Monterey  was  besieged  September,  2ist,  and 
surrendered  September  24th,  an  armistice  was  then  taken  until  November  13th. 
Saltillo  the  capital  of  Cohahuila  was  captured  November  15th.    Santa  Anna 

the  Mexican  General 
surrendered  T  a  mpico 
the  day  before,  Novem. 
ber  14th.  All  these 
victories  were  gained 
by  General  Taylor, 
who  had  been  in 
command;  but  now 
there  came  a  severe  tri- 
al  of  his  patriotism 
and  patience.  General 
Winfield  Scott,  who 
superseded  him  in  rank, 
was  sent  to  take  com. 
mand  in  Mexico,  and 
General  Taylor  was 
left  with  a  command 
of  only  five  hundred 
regulars  and  five 
thousand  volunteers. 
February  22d,  the  anni. 
versary  of  the  birth  of 
SANTA  ANNA.  Washington,  the  little 

band  of  General  Taylor  was  attacked  by  twenty  thousand  Mexicans,  who, 
after  a  severe  battle,  were  repulsed  by  the  Americans. 

While  these  victories  were  being  gained  in  Central  Mexico.  "The 
army  of  the  West"  was  sent  under  command  of  General  Kearney,  to 
Northern  Mexico.  This  army  took  possession  of  Santa  Fe,  the  capital  of 
New  Mexico,  August  18th;  here  he  received  information  that  the  conquest  of 
California  had  already  been  achieved  by  Commodore  Stockton  and  Lieutenant 
Colonel  Fremont,  who  had  aroused  the  resident  Americans  on  the  Pacific 
coast  and  captured  Sonoma  Pass,  June  15th,  1846,  and  driven  all  the 
Mexicans  out  of  that  region  July,  5th.  On  the  7th  Monterey  had  been 
bombarded  and  captured.  The  Commodore  and  Lieutenant-Colonel  had 
entered  San  Francisco  on  the  9th.  The  city  of  Los  Angeles  had  surrendered 
on  the  17th,  and  Fremont  had  been  the  true  liberator  of  the  whole  Pacific 


1 849] 


THE  CONSTITUTIONAL  PERIOD. 


399 


coast.  General  Kearney  on  receiving  this  information  pushed  on  his  forces, 
and  met  Commodore  Stockton,  and  Licutcnant-Coloncl  Fremont,  December 
27th,  1846,  and  with  them  shared  the  final  honors  which  complctcti  the 
conquest  of  California.  Fremont  wanted  to  be  {'ovcrnor  of  the  territory  he 
had  conquered,  and  his  claims  were  favored  by  Com  nodorc  Stockton  and  all 
the  people,  but  General  Kearney,  his  superior,  refused  to  allow  it.  Fremont 
would  not  obey  him  but  issued  a  proclamation  as  governor.  Fremont  was 
called  home  to  be  tried  for  disobedience  of  orders.  His  commission  was 
taken  from  him,  but  the  President  offered  to  return  it  the  next  day. 
Fremont  refused  to  accept  it,  and  turned  again  to  the  wilderness  to  engage 
in  exploration. 

While  General  Kearney  was  gone  to  California,  Colonel  Doniphan  with 
one  thousand  Missouri  volunteers,  forced  the  Navajo  Indians  to  sign  a  treaty 
of  peace,  November,  1846,  and  then  led  his  troops  southward  to  join 
General  Wool.  He  met  and  overcame  a  large  force  of  Mexicans  at  Baciti, 
in  the  valley  of  the  Rio  del  Norte,  on  December  22d.  The  Mexican 
General  sent  word  to  him,  "  We  will  neither  ask  nor  give  quarter."  With  a 
black  flag  the  Mexicans  advanced,  and  the  Missourians  fell  on  their  faces. 
The  savages  thinking  them  all  killed  rushed  forward  to  plunder  them,  but  the 
whole  force  sprang  to  their  feet  and  fired  with  such  deadly  effect  as  to 
disperse  the  Mexicans  with  great  slaughter.  Colonel  Doniphan  met  another 
force  of  Mexicans,  four  thousand  strong,  on  February  28th,  1847,  ^"d 
completely  routed  them.  He  raised  the  American  flag  over  Chihuahua,  a 
city  of  forty  thousand  inhabitants,  March  2d,  and  after  resting  six  weeks 
marched  to  Saltillo,  and  turned  over  his  command  to  General  Wool.  He  had 
made  a  perilous  march  of  five  thousand  miles,  from  the  Mississippi,  won  two 
great  battles,  and  then  returned  to  New  Orleans.  All  Northern  Mexico  and 
California  were  now  in  possession  of  the  Americans,  and  General  Winfield 
Scott  was  on  his  way  to  the  city  of  Mexico. 

General  Scott  landed  before  Vera  Cruz  with  an  army  of  thirteen 
thousand,  March  9th,  1847.  The  squadron  was  in  command  of  Commodore 
Connor.  The  city  was  invested  March  13th,  and  held  out  until  the  27th, 
when  the  Americans  took  possession  of  Vera  Cruz,  and  captured  five  thousand 
prisoners  and  five  hundred  guns.  Ten  days  after  this,  General  Scott 
commenced  his  march  inland,  and  on  the  i8th  of  April  he  fought  and  won 
the  battle  of  Cerro  Gordo,  at  the  foot  of  the  Cordilleras.  More  than  a 
thousand  Mexicans  were  killed  and  three  thousand  taken  prisoners.  These 
Scott  dismissed  on  parole,  which  they  at  once  violated.  The  victorious  army 
entered  the  city  of  Jalapa  on  the  i8th,  and  on  the  22d  of  April,  General 
Worth  unfurled  the  Stars  and  Stripes  on  the  summit  of  the  Cordilleras,  fifty 
miles  beyond  the  city  of  Jalapa.  But  the  victorious  army  did  not  halt  here. 
They  marched  forward,  and  on  the  15th  of  May,  1847,  too^  possession  of  the 
well  fortified  city  of  Puebla,  containing  eighty  thousand  inhabitants.  Here 
they  halted  to  rest  for  a  while.  In  the  short  space  of  two  months  an  army  of 
ten  thous.  .d  men  had  captured  a  larger  number  of  prisoners  than  the  army 


im 


<  H 


JW\ 


■  -'i  -si! 


M: 


\^l 


.' :.  I 


;.   ' 


IX 


'i.m 


i::n 


300 


THE  CONSTITUTIONAL  PERIOD. 


[1845 


itself,  taken  possession  of  the  strongest  points  on  the  continent,  and  were 
waiting  for  tke  order  "  on  to  Mexico."  In  August,  after  being  reinforced  by 
fresh  troops,  Scott  resumed  his  triumphal  march  to  new  victories.  August 
20th,  the  camp  of  six  thousand  Mexicans  at  Contrcras  was  defeated  by  the 
Americans  in  a  detachment  under  General  Smith.  Churubusco  was  taken  at 
the  same  time  by  General  Scott.  An  army  thirty  thousand  strong,  in  the 
heart  of  its  own  country,  had  been  broken  up  by  one  less  than  a  third  of  that 
number.  The  American  army  were  at  the  very  gates  of  the  city  of  Mexico 
and  might  have  entered  in  triumph,  but  General  Scott  held  out  the  olive 
branch  of  peace  and  would  have  spared  the  Mexicans  that  disgrace.  A  flag 
of  truce  from  Santa  Anna  came  asking  for  an  armistice,  which  was  granted. 
Mr.  Nicholas  P.  Twist,  a  commissioner  of  peace,  appointed  by  the  United 
States,  was  sent  to  the  city  to  treat  with  Santa  Anna,  but  returned  with  the 
information  that  he  had  not  only  rejected  the  offer  with  scorn,  but  was 
violating  the  armistice  by  strengthening  his  defenses. 

General  Scott  began  his  demonstration  against  the  city,  September  8th. 
when  a  body  of  less  than  four  thousand  troops  attacked  a  superior  force  at 
El  Molinos  del  Rey,  near  Chapultepec,  and  at  first  suffered  the  only  repulse 
of  the  war,  but  afterwards  rallied  and  drove  the  Mexicans  before  them.  On 
the  morning  of  the  13th  of  September,  the  flag  of  the  United  States  was 
unfurled  over  the  ruined  castle  of  Chapultepec,  and  Santa  Anna  was  fleeing  a 
fugitive  with  his  shattered  army  and  the  officers  of  government.  September 
14th,  the  army  of  the  United  States  entered  the  city  of  Mexico  in  triumph, 
and  planted  the  Stars  and  Stripes  over  the  National  Palace.  Order  was  soon 
restored  in  that  ancient  capital,  and  when  a  provisional  government  could  be 
formed,  peace  was  declared.  Mexico  gave  up  Ciilifornia,  Arizona  and  New 
Mexico,  and  conceded  to  all  the  claims  of  the  United  States.  Mexico  was 
evacuated  by  the  American  army,  and  twelve  million  dollars  were  paid  by  the 
United  States  to  Mexico  in  four  annual  instalments,  and  the  United  States 
also  assumed  the  debts  due  to  private  citizens  to  the  amount  of  three 
millions.  This  treaty  was  signed  in  February  2d,  1848.  The  very  next 
month  gold  was  discovered  in  large  quantities  in  California,  and  President 
Polk  in  his  annual  message,  in  December,  1848,  published  the  fact  to  the 
world.  The  gold  fever  broke  out  all  over  the  States,  and  spread  to  other 
countries,  and  during  the  whole  year  of  1849  a  constant  stream  of  emigration 
flowing  across  the  plains  and  around  Cape  Horn,  came  to  this  Eldorado  of 
the  West  to  find  the  wealth  which  the  early  Spanish  and  French  adventurers 
had  sought  in  vain.  Thousands  came  from  Europe  and  South  America,  and 
ship-loads  of  Chinese  came  from  Asia.  The  dreams  of  the  voyagers  who 
came  to  Salvador  and  Florida,  in  the  fifteenth  century,  seemed  to  be  realized 
in  the  nineteenth.  Emigrants  continued  to  flock  thither,  and  yet  (1882)  the 
supply  is  not  exhausted. 

The  popularity  which  General  Taylor  had  acquired  in  the  Mexican  war 
by  his  victories  and  his  patriotism,  led  to  his  nomination  and  election  to  the 
Presidency,  with  Millard  Fillmore  as  Vice  President. 


1 849] 


THE  CONSTITUTIONAL  PERIOD. 


301 


nent,  and  were 

reinforced  by 

ories.     August 

:feated  by  the 

)  was  taken  at 

strong,  in  the 

a  third  of  that 

city  of  Mexico 

out  the  olive 

sgracc.     A  fla^ 

:h  was  granted. 

by  the  United 

urned  with  the 

scorn,   but  was 


iperior  force  at 
he  only  repulse 
fore  them.     On 
lited  States  was 
na  was  fleeing  a 
i;nt.     September 
jcico  in  triumph, 
Order  was  soon 
nment  could  be 
rizona  and  New 
Mexico  was 
kvere  paid  by  the 
le  United  States 
Tiount  of    three 
The   very  next 
1,  and   President 
the  fact  to  the 
spread   to  other 
,m  of  emigration 
this  Eldorado  of 
nch  adventurers 
th  America,  and 
e  voyagers  who 
;d  to  be  realized 
d  yet  (1882) the 

he  Mexican  war 
election  to  the 


Two  domestic  measures  during  the  administration  of  James  K.  Polk  had 
been  very  popular.  The  establishment  of  a  national  treasury  system,  and  a 
protective  tariff.  Wisconsin  was  admitted  to  the  Union,  May  29th,  1848, 
making  thirty  States  in  all.  At  this  point  we  will  stop  for  a  while  to  review 
the  dark  question  of  American  history,  and  tell  the  story  of  its  wrongs. 


The  Hero  of  The  Mexican  War,  General  Winfield  Scott. 


<i¥ 


llll 


■■^'3':''% 


\ '. 


■^-^jf>  '  I -.t::;! 


i  m 


m  PEMOD  OF  AGITAIN 

AND  THE  DARK  CHAPTER  IN  AMERICAN  HISTORY. 


E  have  brought  our  readers  down  the  line  of  events  to 
the  time  the  twelfth  President  was  about  to  take  his 
seat  of  office.  We  have  seen  the  continent  redeemed 
from  its  savage  inhabitants  and  settled  with  an  active, 
energetic  population  of  freemen  who  had  acquired 
their  independence,  subdued  the  wilderness,  devel- 
oped its  resources,  spread  their  white-winged  com- 
merce on  every  sea,  explored  their  own  territory  and  made  discov- 
eries in  other  parts  of  the  world,  driven  the  pirates  from  their  own 
borders  and  humbled  the  pirates  in  the  Mediterranean,  compelled 
the  respect  due  their  flag  from  other  nations  and  established  their 
widest  boundaries  by  peaceful  diplomacy  or  glorious  war.  They  had 
grown  from  thirteen  States  to  thirty  and  their  domain  now  stretched 
in  one  broad  belt  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific,  and  from  the 
lakes  to  the  gulf,  with  no  nation  to  challenge  their  right.  They  were 
prosperous  at  home  and  respected  abroad.  The  industry,  intelligence  and 
enterprise  of  her  citizens  are  unparalleled,  and  their  inventions,  discoveries 
and  mechanical  arts  were  astonishing  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  old  world. 
The  inventors  and  discoverers  of  the  United  States  had  revolutionized  the 
commerce,  the  manufactures  and  the  travel  of  the  past.  The  steamboat, 
the  electric  telegraph,  the  cotton  gin  and  the  inventions  in  every  department 
of  trade  had  startled  the  inhabitants  of  Europe  from  their  dream  of  centuries. 
But  in  spite  of  the  growth  in  material  strength,  in  national  domain  and  wealth 
there  was  a  dark  blot  upon  the  country,  and  the  agitation  and  strife  which  it 
was  continually  causing,  gave  reasons  for  constant  alarm  to  our  wisest  and 
best  statesmen.  How  to  deal  with  this  dark  subject  was  a  serious  question 
to  the  moralist,  the  patriot  and  the  philanthropist.  That  question  was  the 
fearful  presence  of  American  slavery  and  its  insatiate  demand  for  more 
territory.  To  go  back  to  the  beginning :  England  had  forced  the  African 
slave  trade  upon  the  unwilling  colonists,  and  her  Parliament  had  watched 
with  fostering  care  this  hideous  traffic.  In  the  first  half  of  the  eighteenth 
century  there  was  constant  legislation  in  its  favor,  and  every  restraint  upon 
its  largest  development  was  removed  with  solicitous  regard.  Twenty  negro 
slaves  were  sold  to  the  planters  of  Virginia  in  the  same  year  the  pilgrims 
landed  at  Plymouth,  1620,  and  these  were  the  first  brought  into  America. 
In  December,  1671,  Sir  John  Yeamans,  Governor  of  South  Carolina,  brought 
two  hundred  black  slaves  with  him  from  the  West  Indies.  In  1641,  the 
blacks  were  recognized  in  law  as  slaves  by  Massachusetts.     In  Connecticut 


i85o] 


THE  PERIOD  OF  AGllATION. 


303 


and  Rhode  Island  in  1650;  in  New  York  in  1656;  in  Maryland  in  1663,  and 
in  New  Jersey  in  1665,  There  were  some  slaves  in  Pennsylvania  and 
Delaware  about  1690.  In  North  and  South  Carolina,  they  were  introduced 
at  the  time  of  settlement.  In  Georgia  the  use  of  slaves  was  prohibited  by 
law  but  the  planters  evaded  the  Iaw  by  hiring  servants  for  one  hundred 
years,  paying  their  owners  in  the  other  colonies  the  value  of  such  slaves.  In 
New  Hampshire  the  slaves  came  with  the  settlers  from  Massachusetts.  So 
we  see  that  slavery  could  be  found,  under  the  sahction  of  law,  in  every  one 
of  the  original  thirteen  States,  at  the  opening  of  the  eighteenth  century. 
The  British  government  seemed  determined  to  encourage  the  importa- 
tion of  slaves  into  the  West  Indies  and  American  Colonies  by  every  means 
in  her  power.  The  Colonies  sought  to  check  the  increase  by  imposing  a 
tax  on  slaves  brought  into  chcm,  but  Parliament  compelled  its  repeal. 
A  hundred  acres  of  land  in  the  West  Indies  was  given  to  every  planter  who 
would  keep  four  slaves.  Forts  were  built  and  manned  on  the  African  coast  to 
protect  the  men  who  were  engaged  in  this  trafific.  The  most  humiliating 
chapter  in  the  history  of  England  was  in  regard  to  this  subject.  As  late  as 
the  year  1749,  the  English  Parliament  passed  an  act  bestowing  still  greater 
encouragement  upon  the  trafific,  in  which  it  was  stated :  "  The  slave-trade  is 
very  advantageous  to  Great  Britain." 

The  moral  sense  of  New  England  was  opposed  to  slavery  and  very  early 
the  idea  became  prevalent  there  that  it  was  unscriptural  to  hold  a  baptized 
persoji  in  slavery.  They  did  not  however  liberate  their  slaves,  but  withheld 
religious  instruction  from  them.  The  Bishops  of  the  church  and  the  officers 
of  the  crown  endeavored  to  put  them  right  on  this  question,  and  the  Colonial 
Assemblies  passed  laws  to  reassure  the  people  that  it  was  right  to  hold 
Christians  in  slavery. 

Before  the  Revolution  three  hundred  thousand  slaves  had  been  brought 
into  the  Colonies  from  Africa,  and  at  that  time  there  were  half  a  million 
slaves  scattered  over  the  country.  These  were  in  every  Colony,  although 
there  were  but  thirty  thousand  in  the  North.  The  children  of  the  Puritans 
owned  Indians,  and  in  due  time  came  to  hold  Africans,  but  the  soil  was  hard 
and  sterile  and  required  that  the  tiller  should  be  a  person  of  thought  and 
intelligence.  All  kinds  of  labor  demanded  brain  as  well  as  physical  force 
and  for  this  reason  slave  labor  in  the  North  was  never  remunerative,  and 
gradually  the  slaves  all  died  out  or  were  shipped  South.  The  moral  senti- 
ment as  well  as  the  conditions  of  the  soil  and  climate  of  the  North  wa;; 
opposed  to  the  whole  system  of  human  servitude. 

There  were  different  conditions  in  the  fertile  and  sunny  South.  The 
climate  was  congenial  to  the  African  and  the  soil  was  productive  to  the 
extreme  of  luxuriance.  The  crops  were  such  as  the  unskilled  labor  of  the 
slave  could  produce  with  profit  to  his  master,  tobacco,  cotton  and  rice.  The 
land  in  the  South  was  divided  into  large  plantations  and  the  cities  were 
mostly  engaged  in  the  export  of  their  staple  products.  Yet  for  all  this,  at 
the  time  of  the  Revolution  there  was  a  very  wide  spread  opposition  to  the 


t; 


irw'f 


ill':  :    !J 


!  ■  ■  ■■  I  •"■■n :  ■ 


■ !  '■!'  ■ 


( *■ 


I  ''^ 


[I  I 


1 1  mm  ■ 


304 


THE  PERIOD  OF  AGITATION. 


[1620 


institution  of  slavery.  The  free  spirit  which  influenced  the  patriots  was 
antagonistic  to  the  whole  idea  of  human  bondage.  The  leaders  of  the 
conflict  were  many  of  them  slaveholders  but  they  rega'-ded  the  institution  as 
odious  and  wrong. 

Washington  provided  in  his  will  for  the  freedom  of  his  slaves.  Hamilton 
was  the  member  of  a  society  which  aimed  at  the  gradual  abolition  of  the 
whole  system.  John  Adams  was  deadly  opposed  to  it.  Patrick  Henry, 
Franklin,  Madison  and  Monroe,  were  outspoken  against  it.  Jefferson,  the 
man  who  wrote  the  first  draft  of  the  Constitution,  himself  a  Virginian,  said  of 
it,  **  I  tremble  for  my  country  when  I  remember  that  God  is  just."  When 
the  convention  that  met  to  frame  the  Constitution  assembled  in  Philadelphia, 
the  feeling  was  strong  against  slavery,  and  had  the  majority  followed  their 
own  conviction  of  right,  a  provision  would  have  been  incorporated  for  its 
gradual  and  final  extinction.  But  the  desire  to  frame  a  document  that  would 
be  acceptable  to  all  the  States  led  to  a  tender  treatment  of  the  subject,  and 
finally  to  one  of  these  unholy  compromises  which  has  marked  the  whole 
course  of  legislation  upon  the  subject  for  more  than  eighty  years,  and  in  time 
resulted  in  the  most  cruel  and  bloody  internal  war  which  has  ever  come  to 
any  nation.  It  was  proposed  to  prohibit  the  importation  of  slaves  at  once, 
and  all  the  Northern  and  most  of  the  Southern  members  were  in  favor  of  it. 
But  the  delegates  of  South  Carolina  and  Georgia  threatened  to  withdraw 
from  the  convention  if  this  was  done  ;  and  instead,  it  was  provided  that 
Congress  might  abolish  the  traffic  after  twenty  years  if  she  saw  fit. 

Using  the  same  threat  of  disunion,  the  slave  States  of  the  extreme 
South  gained  other  concessions  of  great  importance.  First,  that  if  a  person 
escaped  from  a  slave  State  to  a  free  State  that  did  not  make  him  free  ;  and 
second  that  in  the  apportionment  for  representatives  to  Congress  the 
population  of  white  citizens  should  be  taken  and  to  this  should  be  added 
three  fifths  of  all  other  persons  excluding  Indians  not  taxed.  While  the 
words  slave  and  slavery  are  not  to  be  found  in  the  Constitution,  by  these 
unrighteous  concessions  to  the  extreme  slave  States,  the  vile  institution  was 
intrenched  within  the  organic  law  of  the  land  and  the  first  and  most 
important  victory  was  gained  for  the  monstrous  evil. 

Even  in  the  South  there  was  a  strong  public  sentiment  against  the 
wrong.  Slave  owners  acknowledged  its  evil  and  freely  discussed  it.  The 
pulpit  preached  against  it,  and  men  prophesied  its  extinction,  and  the 
meanest  black  might  hope  that  the  time  would  come  when  the  words  of  the 
Declaration  of  Independence  would  apply  to  him. 

The  accession  of  the  vast  domain  of  Louisiana  from  France,  opened  up  a 
mighty  region  to  the  profitable  cultivation  of  sugar  cane  and  cotton  by  slave 
labor.  The  growth  of  cotton  was  becoming  a  matter  of  great  importance. 
The  invention  of  the  spinning  jenny  by  Richard  Arkwright  in  England,  in 
1768,  followed  by  the  introduction  of  steam  power  by  James  Watts  had 
created  an  extensive  demand  for  cotton,  which  Great  Britain  could  only  find 
in  sufficient   quantity  and   proper  quality   in   the   Southern    States  of   the 


i850] 


THE  PERIOD  OF  AGITATION. 


30s 


American  Union.     Eli  Whitney,  a  New   England  farmer's  son,  was  a  born 
mechanic.     In  1792,  he  was  on  a  visit   to  the  home  of  Mrs.  Greene,  in  the 
State  of  Georgia,  and   heard  of  the   trouble   which   surrounded   the   cotton 
planters  in  separating  the  fibers  of  the  cotton   from  the  seed,  and  the  wish 
that  some  device  would  be  invented  to  overcome  this.     Young  Whitney  set 
his  inventive  genius  at  work  to  construct  a  machine  for  this  purpose,  and 
after   much   study,    many    improvements,    and   oft   repeated   failures,  finally 
invented   the   cotton   gin.      The    planters   of    Georgia    saw   in    the   rudely 
constructed  machine  exhibited  to  them  in  the  back  room  of  Mrs.  Greene's 
residence  the  possibilities  of  untold  wealth  for  them,  and  heeded  it  as  a  sign 
of  their  deliverance  from  this  trouble.     The  cotton  gin  made  the  growing  of 
cotton  vastly  more  remunerative  than  ever  before.     But  the  South  treated 
the  brain  work  of  the  "  Yankee  mudsill "  the  same  as  they  did  the  toil  of  the 
poor  African.     They  stole  it  without  paying  for  it,  and  the  inventor  of  the 
instrument  which  gave  the  cotton  growing  States    their  supremacy  in  the 
markets  of  the  world,  and  brought  a  constant  flow  of  wealth  to  their  doors, 
died    a    poor    man.      To    return   from   this    digression.      Ten    years    after 
Whitney's  cotton  gin  had  been  invented,  Louisiana  was  added  to  the  United 
States,  and  there  was  a  great  demand  for  slaves.     The  northern  tier  of  slave 
States  began  to  grow  slaves  for  the  southern  market.     Human   beings  were 
bred  and  used  like  cattle  to  be  sold.     Great  God  !  how  could  such  things  be 
in  a  country   that   boasted  of  freedom,   and   claimed   to   be  a  beacon  to  the 
oppressed  in  all  nations?    John  C.  Calhoun,  for  eight  years  Vice  President  of 
the  United  States,  was  the  leader  and  apostle  of  the  slave  holders.     He  was 
a  South  Carolinian  of  great  force  and  eloquence.     He  taught  the  people  that 
slavery  was  good  for  the  black.     It  was  a  civilizing  and  benign  institution, 
which  gave  the  slave  a  greater  measure  of  intelligence  than  he   could  attain 
in  freedom,  and  surrounded  him  with  Christianizing  influences  which  he  never 
would  have  had  in  his  native  land.     The  inference  was  easily  drawn  that  it 
was  a   Providential    design    for  the   advancement   of    both    races.      Hence 
opposition  to  this  heaven-appointed  institution  was  profane,  and  abolitionism 
was  only  a  species  of  infidelity  running  rank  in  the  North.    This  Calhoun 
taught ;  and  the   people  were   eager  to  catch  upon   an   excuse   for  their  pet 
institution.     Calhoun's  last   utterance  in  Congress  was  to  the  effect  that  the 
opposition  to  slavery  would  result  in  the  destruction  of  the  Union,  and  his 
latest  conversation  was  upon  the  all-absorbing  topic.      The  people  of  the 
South  were  taught   from  pulpit  and  press,  from   the  rostrum,  and   in   the 
schools,  that  it  was  a  divine  institution,  ordained  of  Heaven,  and  they  were 
willing  enough   to   believe   it.      Laws  were   passed  which   were    extremely 
barbarous.     The  slave  was  regarded  not  as  a  person,  but  a  thing.     He  had 
no  rights.     The  most  holy  ordinance  of  marriage,  was  set  aside  at  the  will  of 
the  master.     Parents  had  no  claim  on  the  offspring  of  their  own  bodies.     The 
child  followed  the  condition  of  its  mother  no  matter  what  that  of  the  father 
might  be.     It  was  a  statutory  offense  to  teach  a  slave  to  read.     The  life  of 
the  slave  was  in  the  hand  of  his  master,  and  a  slave  who  would  not  submit  to 


m . 


I'J^ 


m 


■\ 


1 1 

ii 


306 


THE  PERIOD  OF  AGITATION, 


[1620 


a  flogging  by  his  master's  order,  might  be  shot.  If  a  white  man  killed  a 
slave,  not  his  own,  he  could  settle  with  the  master  of  the  slave,  by  paying 
his  value.  If  a  slave  killed  a  white  man,  he  might  be  shot  without  trial. 
No  black,  bond  or  free,  could  give  testimony  in  court.  There  was  a  very 
slender  show  of  protecting  the  right  of  the  slave.  The  practice  of  the  slave 
owners  was  not  better  than  their  laws.  Families  were  separated  ;  husbands 
from  wives ;  and  children  from  parents.  And  the  men  and  women  were 
compelled  to  pair  as  often,  and  with  whom  their  masters  wished.  The 
hunting  of  fugitive  slaves  became  a  business  in  which  trained  bloodhounds 
were  used,  and  the  owners  of  the  slaves  paying  for  those  returned. 
Discussions  against  slavery  were  not  permitted  in  the  slave  States ;  and  no 
papers,  pamphlets,  or  books  opposing  the  institution  were  allowed  to  find  sale 
or  to  pass  through  the  mails.  To  such  an  extreme  of  madness  had  the 
defenders  and  upholders  of  the  system  gone  that  many  northern  men  were 
subjected  to  the  most  cruel  indignities,  and  even  in  numerous  instances  to 
death.  Shipmasters  from  northern  ports  were  obliged  to  submit  to  seizure 
and  search — the  very  thing  for  which  the  country  had  gone  to  war  with 
England  in  1812.     Mobs  were  raised  and  the  North  denounced. 

We  do  not  wish  to  tear  open  the  old  wounds,  but  are  writing  sober 
history  which  is  proven  by  the  records  of  the  past.  There  were  good  masters 
and  Christian  principles  taught  in  many  instances.  The  blacks  under  such 
conditions  were  contented  and  happy,  but  the  death  of  their  owner  and  the 
settlement  of  his  estate  might  change  all  this  in  a  day.  The  whole  system 
was  evil,  and  the  stifled  conscience  of  the  enlightened  people  knew  it  to  be 
so. 

When  the  State  of  Louisiana  was  admitted  into  the  Union,  in  1812,  the 
vast  northern  part  of  the  purchase  from  France  was  left  in  a  territory  without 
inhabitants.  This  was  rich  in  natural  resources.  Iron,  copper  and  coal  enough 
to  supply  the  earth,  lay  beneath  its  surface.  Large  rivers  flowed  in  natural 
highways  to  the  seas.  The  climate  was  genial  and  mild.  Gradually  settlers 
came  flocking  thither.  The  slave-holder  with  his  human  chattels  was  the  first 
in  the  field,  and  the  free  settler  turned  aside  to  the  northwest,  from  which 
slavery  had  been  excluded  by  the  act  of  the  Continental  Congress.  So 
Missouri  became  a  slave  State.  In  18 18,  there  were  sixty  thousand  persons 
in  the  Territory  of  Missouri,  and  she  was  knocking  at  the  doors  of  Congress 
for  admission.  The  slave  States  of  Kentucky,  Tennessee,  Alabama,  and 
Mississippi,  had  been  admitted  before  this  without  any  controversy,  but  now 
the  slave  power  was  becoming  too  aggressive  and  reaching  far  to  the  north. 
The  first  great  contest  between  the  North  and  the  South  was  fought  over  this 
question.  For  more  than  two  years  the  conflict  waged,  and  after  a  desperate 
fight  in  the  Halls  of  Congress  and  before  the  people,  resulted  in  the 
compromise  measure.  There  had  been  heated  debates  which  had  agitated 
the  whole  country  from  Maine  to  Louisiana.  The  compromise  was  that 
slavery  should  be  allowed  in  all  States  south  of  36  degrees,  30  minutes  north 
latitude,  and  excluded  from  all  States  and  territories  north  of  that  latitude. 


i85o] 


THE  PERIOD  OF  AGITATION. 


307 


man  killed  a 
e,  by  paying 
without  trial. 
2  was  a  very 
e  of  the  slave 
ed  ;  husbands 
women  were 
wished.  The 
[  bloodhounds 
lose  returned, 
states ;  and  no 
ed  to  find  sale 
dness  had  the 
hern  men  were 
lus  instances  to 
bmit  to  seizure 
e  to  war  with 

i. 

t  writing  sober 
re  good  masters 
cks  under  such 
owner  and  the 
le  whole  system 
knew  it  to  be 

on, in   1812, the 
erritory  without 
and  coal  enough 
Dwed  in  natural 
radually  settlers 
tels  was  the  first 
est,  from  which 
Congress.      So 
housand  persons 
oors  of  Congress 
Alabama,  and 
roversy,but  now 
ar  to  the  north, 
fought  over  this 
Lfter  a  desperate 
resulted   in    the 
ich  had  agitated 
tromise  was  that 
30  minutes  north 
of  that  latitude. 


This  conflict  ended  with  a  decided  victory  for  the  slave  power.  The  cotton 
gin,  the  admission  of  Louisiana,  and  the  teaching  of  Calhoun,  had  all  had 
their  effect  in  making  the  South  a  unit,  and  the  slave  power  very  strong  in  the 
nation.  The  institution  required  more  territory  for  its  expansion.  And  the 
policy  never  changed.  The  agitation  which  had  begun  would  rage  over  the 
country  for  fifty  years,  and  find  its  solution  only  when  the  institution  lay  in 
ruins  at  the  fall  of  a  gigantic  struggle  inaugurated  to  uphold  it  by  an 
attempted  dissolution  of  the  Union.  Indeed  this  was  the  threat  all  through  the 
controversy  that  had  led  to  the  compromises  which  were  always  in  favor  of 
the  slave  power. 

The  active  hostility  of  the  North  against  slavery,  began  to  grow  in  the 
time  of  John  Quincy  Adams  (1825-1829).  General  Andrew  Jackson  was 
President  from  1829  to  1837 ;  during  a  part  of  the  same  time,  John  C.  Calhoun 
was  Vice  President.  This  question  was  the  overshadowing  one  for  this 
period.  The  South  found  a  faithful  ally  in  a  certain  class  at  the  North. 
People  in  the  North  participated  in  gains  from  the  slave  trade  in  the  South. 
The  planter  borrowed  money  in  the  North,  and  sold  his  cotton  to  the  Northern 
manufacturer,  and  Northern  ships  were  engaged  in  the  cotton  conveying 
trade.  They  were  coining  money  out  of  the  peculiar  institution  and  no 
scruples  of  conscience  about  it.  There  was  a  wide  spread  opinion  that  the 
slave  of  the  South  was  in  better  condition  than  the  poorly  paid  laborer  of 
Europe ;  and  that  was  all  that  could  be  asked.  It  was  claimed  that  cotton 
could  not  be  grown  without  slave  labor.  And  thus  the  institution,  intrenched 
in  the  constitution,  became  united  in  the  South,  and  had  its  friends  in  the 
North.  There  seemed  no  hope  for  the  poor  black  now,  and  the  South  began 
to  rule  in  Congress  with  the  same  spirit  that  was  displayed  on  the  plantation. 
But  there  was  an  influence  at  work  in  the  free  States,  at  first  weak  and 
insignificant,  but  like  the  leaven  hidden  in  the  three  measures  of  meal, 
affecting  the  whole  mass. 

On  the  first  day  of  January  1831,  there  appeared  in  Boston  the  first 
number  of  a  paper,  called  the  "  Emancipator,"  published  by  a  journeyman 
printer,  William  Lloyd  Garrison.  It  was  devoted  to  the  abolition  of  slavery. 
It  was  an  insignificant  opening  for  a  noble  enterprise,  which  found  its 
consummation  in  the  necessity  of  a  civil  war  that  threatened  the  very  existence 
of  the  Republic.  But  every  word  spoken  or  written  upon  the  subject  found 
some  willing  hearer  or  ready  reader,  and  gradually  the  influence  reached  the 
pulpit,  the  political  caucus,  and  the  Halls  of  Congress.  An  abolition  society 
was  formed  at  first  composed  of  twelve  members.  In  three  years  the^e  were 
two  hundred  such  organized,  and  in  seven  years  increased  to  over  two 
thousand  anti-slavery  societies.  The  contest  began  in  earnest.  The  conflict 
was  long  and  fiercely  waged. 

The  question  of  the  tarif!  had  its  northern  and  southern  side,  and  when 
the  nullifiers  of  South  Carolina,  in  1833  and '34,  resisted  the  government,  it 
was  in  the  interest  of  their  cherished  institution,  and  in  every  measure  that 
came  before  the  National  Congress  the  decision  turned  upon  its  aspect  to  the 


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308 


THE  PERIOD  OF  AGITATION. 


fl620 


same  question.  There  is  another  side  to  the  annexation  of  Texas  into  the 
Union  than  the  one  we  have  presented.  Texas  was  a  large  uninhabited  tract 
on  the  southwest  border  of  the  country,  and  the  South  looked  upon  it  as  a 
desirable  region  for  the  spread  of  slavery.  The  climate  was  genial  and  the 
soil  rich.  It  was  of  uncertain  ownership,  and  after  some  negotiation  it  was 
recognized  as  belonging  to  Mexico.  The  United  States  offered  to  purchase 
it  but  Mexico  refused  to  sell  it.  General  Samuel  Houston,  of  Virginia,  with 
a  number  of  adventurers  from  the  southwest  went  to  Texas  and  started  a 
revolution,  proclaimed  a  provisional  government,  and  declared  it  independent. 
It  was  wanted  for  a  slave  State  and  Mexico  had  abolished  slavery.  Now  the 
liberties  of  the  new  State  must  be  defended  with  the  sword,  and  General 
.^  :muel  Houston  with  four  hundred  men  imperfectly  armed  and  equipped,  at 
once  became  a  patriot.  Santa  Anna  had  an  army  of  five  thousand  men,  and 
the  Texans  retreated.  At  San  Jacinto  Houston  found  two  field  pieces  and 
turned  like  a  lion  upon  his  pursuer.  He  then  followed  and  fell  upon  the 
unsuspecting  Santa  Anna  as  he  was  crossing  the  river,  and  poured  grape  and 
canister  into  his  ranks.  The  Mexicans  fled  in  hopeless  rout,  and  Texas  was  a 
free  State.  The  grateful  Texans  made  Houston  President  of  the  Republic 
which  he  had  thus  saved.  The  independence  of  Texas,  as  we  have  said  was 
acknowledged  by  the  United  States,  Great  Britain,  France,  and  some  other 
European  countries,  but  Mexico  still  claimed  the  territory.  A  fierce  debate 
arose  in  Congress,  and  the  first  proposal  from  Texas  to  enter  the  Union  was 
rejected.  The  conflict  became  bitter.  If  Texas  was  admitted  she  would  come 
as  a  slave  State  ;  on  this  ground  the  North  opposed  it,  and  the  South  favored 
it.  Daniel  Webster  said,  "  We  all  see  that  Texas  will  be  a  slave-holding  State, 
and  I  frankly  avow  my  unwillingness  to  do  anything  which  shall  extend  the 
slavery  of  the  African  race  on  this  continent,  or  add  another  slave-holding 
State  to  the  Union."  The  Legislature  of  Mississippi  said  in  resolutions  on 
the  subject,  "  The  South  does  not  possess  a  blessing  with  which  the  affections 
of  her  people  are  so  closely  entwined,  and  whose  value  is  more  highly 
appreciated.  By  the  annexation  of  Texas,  an  equipoise  of  influence  in  the 
Halls  of  Congress  will  be  secured  which  will  furnish  us  a  permanent  guarantee 
of  protection."  Such  was  the  plain  statement  of  the  question  from  both 
sides.  The  matter  went  to  the  people  and  resulted  in  a  victory  for  the  South. 
Texas  was  admitted,  two  votes  for  slavery  were  gained  in  the  Senate,  and 
unlimited  room  for  the  expansion  of  the  darling  institution.  But  the  victory 
cost  a  war  with  a  sister  Republic,  in  which  might  was  arrayed  against  right, 
and  the  United  States  won  the  questionable  glory  of  conquering  a  weaker 
power  and  dismembering  her  territory  to  a  vast  extent.  In  this  Mexican  war 
we  find  the  names  of  many  men  who  won  their  first  military  honors  in  the 
"country  under  the  sun,"  and  afterwards  took  a  conspicuous  place  in 
history.  Robert  E.  Lee  and  Ulysses  S.  Grant  took  part  in  this  war ;  but 
never  met  face  to  face  until  many  years  after,  when  they  had  a  conference 
under  an  historic  apple  tree,  on  the  Appomatox  River,  in  Virginia,  to 
arrange  for  the  surrender  of  a  brave  but  conquered  army.    General  Franklin 


i850] 


THE  PERIOD  OF  AGITATION. 


309 


nto  the 

;d  tract 

1  it  as  a 

and  the 

I  it  was 

}urchase 

kia,  with 

itarted  a 

pendent. 

Now  the 

1  General 

ipped,  at 

nen,  and 

ieces  and 

ipon  the 

[rape  and 

icas  was  a 
RepubUc 
said  was 

>me  other 

ce  debate 

Jnion  was 

puld  come 
'  favored 
ing  State, 

xtend  the 

ve-holding 
utions  on 
affections 
ire   highly 
nee  in  the 
guarantee 
rom  both 
the  South. 
lenate,  and 
the  victory 
linst  right, 
a  weaker 
exican  war 
\OTS  in  the 
place  in 
i  war;  but 
conference 
irginia,  to 
•al  Franklin 


Pierce,  and  General  Zachary  Taylor  were  also  in  the  Mexican  war,  and  became 
Presidents  of  the  United  States.  There  was  a  strong  opposition  to  this  war 
and  in  the  North  the  public  opinion  was  instantly  aroused  in  regard  to  the 
demands  of  the  arrogant  slave  power.  A  young  lawyer  from  Illinois,  serving 
his  first  term  in  Congress,  made  a  most  stirring  speech  against  it.  He  was 
Abraham  Lincoln,  who  was  destined  to  occupy  a  position  next  to  Washington 
in  the  hearts  of  his  countrymen. 

Thus  far  in  the  conflict  of  agitation  and  argument  the  South  had 
gained  at  every  move  and  in  their  delirium  of  madness  considered  them- 
selves safe  to  demand  that  their  institution  should  be  considered  a  national 
one.  But  there  came  other  agencies  into  the  field  and  the  very  war  which 
had  been  waged  in  Mexico  became  under  Providence  the  means  of  checking.; 
their  supremacy  and  putting  an  end  to  the  acquirement  of  any  moru 
slave  States.  Of  the  original  thirteen  States,  Maryland,  Virginia,  North 
Carolina,  South  Carolina,  and  Georgia,  were  slave-holding.  Kentucky, 
Tennessee,  Mississippi,  Alabama,  P^lorida,  Louisiana,  Arkansas,  Missouri,  and 
Texas  had  been  added  to  their  number.  But  now  there  was  to  be  a  halt 
and  the  voice  of  Providence  seemed  to  say  "  thus  far  shalt  thou  come  and 
no  further,  and  here  shall  thy  proud  waters  be  stayed."  The  discovery  of 
gold,  and  the  rapid  increase  of  population  in  California  made  up  of  men  who 
came  to  carve  out  their  fortunes,  was  unfavorable  to  the  introduction  of 
slavery  and  the  people  formed  their  Constitution  and  asked  admission  as  a 
free  State.  This  was  a  grcivous  disappointment  to  the  slave  States  which 
had  been  so  enthusiastic  in  pressing  on  the  Mexican  war,  for  the  sake  of 
gaining  new  States  and  new  votes  in  the  United  States  Senate,  and  a  large 
area  for  the  spread  of  slavery.  The  people  from  the  North  had  flocked  to  the 
Pacific  Coast   and   quickly  decided   the   fate  of   the   first   State    formed    on 

that  coast. 

But  we  will  now  resume  the  line  of  general  history  at  the  end  of  Mr. 
Polk's  administration.  General  Zachary  Taylor,  who  had  been  conspicuous 
for  his  bravery  and  patriotism  in  the  war  with  Mexico  was  elected  to  th(.' 
Presidency  by  a  large  majority,  as  we  have  said. 


m 


:i^i' 


310  THE  PERIOD  OF  AGITATION.  [1849 

ADMINISTRATION   OF   ZACHARY  TAYLOR. 

iHE  twelfth  President  of  the  United  States  was  inaugu- 
rated March  5th,  1849— the  4*^,  being  Sunday— and 
from  the  start  had  the  sympathies  and  best  wishes  of 
a  large  majority  of  the  people.  The  administratiijn 
of  the  newly  inaugurated  incumbent  promised  to  be 
one  of  unusual  happiness  and  prosperity. 

The    Constitution    framed    by    the     delegates    of 
California  at  Monterey,  was  adopted  by  the  convention  on  the 
first  day  of  September,    1849.     The  birth  and   formation  of  a 
crude   State  had  been  so   sudden  as  to  surprise  the  country, 
having  been  only  twenty  months  from  the  time  of  the  discovery 
of  gold.     Edward  Gilbert,  and  G.  H.  Wright,  were  sent  as  dele- 
gates to  Congress  and  John  C.  Fremont,  and  William  M.  Gunn, 
were  elected  Senators  and  appeared  at  Washington  with  the 
State    Constitution    in  their    hands,  and   presented   a   petition 
asking  to  be  received  as  a  free  and  independent  State.     Then 
there  came  a  severe  struggle  in  the  two   Houses  of  Congress 
over  the  anti-slavery  clause,  and  the  excitement  ran  high  all  over  the  country, 
The  old  and  oft-repeated   threat  of  disunion  was  raised  and  again  another 
compromise  was  effected  in  which  the  victory  was  on  the  side  of  the  South. 
Henry  Clay  appeared  as  a  peacemaker  and  implored  the  people  to  make 
any  sacrifice   but   honor   to   preserve   the  Union.     Daniel  Webster  warmly 
seconded  the  efforts  of  Mr.  Clay  and  the  compromise  measure  was  passed 
September  9th,    1850.     This   is  known   as  the  Omnibus  Bill  and  provided 
"  for  the  admission  of   California  as  a  free  State ;  second,  the  formation  of 
the  territory  of  Utah ;  third,  the  formation  of  the  territory  of  New  Mexico, 
and  ten  million  dollars  be  paid  to  Texas  for  her  claim  on  this  territory; 
fourth,  the  abolition  of  slavery  in  the  District  of  Columbia:  fifth,  the  fugitive 
slave  law."     This  last  measure  was  extremely  unpopular  in  the  north.    Its 
provisions  were  excessively  obnoxious  to  the  whole  non  slave-holding  States, 
and  raised  a  storm  of  opposition,  evasion  and  violation,  which  led  to  serious 
disturbance   and   much  bitter  strife.     In  the   midst  of  this   excitement  the 
President  died,  and  was  succeeded  by  the  Vice  President,  Millard   Fillmore, 
July  9th,  1850.     In  the  brief  administration  of  General  Taylor,  there  had 
been  a  number  of    important    events    which    affected    the    issues  of  the 
impending  Civil  War.     One  of  these  was  the  invasion  of  Cuba  by  General 
Lopez,  a  native   of   that    island,  who  had   come  to  the  United  States  and 
raised,  organized  and    equipped  a  force  in  violation  of   the  neutrality  laws. 
He  landed  in  Cuba  the  19th  of   April,  1850,  expecting   to  find  the  Cubans 
ready  to  rise   and  make  a  strike   for  freedom  from  Spain.     But   in  this  he 
was  disappointed,  and  returned   to   the   States   to  raise  a  larger  force.    Of 
this  we  shall  speak    further  on.     The   other   event    was   the    establishment 
of  Mormonism  in  the  region  called  Utah,  a  large  tract  of  country  midway 


[1 849 

\YLOR. 

ites  was  inaugu- 

T   Sunday — and 

best  wishes  of 

administraticiii 

promised  to  be 

e     delegates    of 
nvention  on  the 
I  formation  of  a 
ise  the  country, 
of  the  discovery 
rere  sent  as  dele- 
Villiam  M.  Gunn, 
lington  with  the 
ented   a  petition 
ent  State.    Then 
juses  of  Congress 
over  the  country, 
ind  again  another 
side  of  the  South. 
[  people  to  make 
Webster  warmly 
:asure  was  passed 
Bill  and  provided 
the  formation  of 
y  of  New  Mexico, 
on  this  territory; 
:  fifth,  the  fugitive 
in  the  north.    Its 
ive-holding  States, 
hich  led  to  serious 
is   excitement  the 
Millard   Fillmore, 
Taylor,  there  had 
the    issues  of   the 
f  Cuba  by  General 
United  States  and 
he  neutrality  laws. 
o  find  the  Cubans 
[n.    But  in  this  he 
la  larger  force.    Of 
the    establishment 
,f  country  midway 


1853] 


THE  PERIOD  OF  AGITATION. 


311 


between  the  Mississippi  and  the  Pacific.  The  Mormons  were  a  religious 
sect  who  had  accepted  the  delusion  of  Joseph  Smith  in  1827,  and  had 
emigrated  from  the  State  of  Illinois.  They  came  across  the  plain  and 
founded  their  settlement,  after  many  hardships  and  trials,  in  the  spot  they 
called  Deseret.  They  were  fanatical  in  their  notions,  and  had  adopted  a 
system  of  marriage  which  was  antagonistic  to  the  religious  and  moral 
sentiment  of  the  whole  country.  They  recognized  the  right  and  held  to 
the  practice  of  polygamy,  or  a  plurality  of  wives.  They  spread  their 
doctrines  by  means  of  missionaries  over  nil  parts  of  the  world  and  came 
in  large  numbers  to  Utah.  They  have  long  had  sufificient  population  to 
form  a  State  but  up  to  this  writing — 1882 — have  been  kept  out  of  the 
Union  on  account  of  their  peculiar  in.stitution  of  polygamy. 

ADMINISTRATION  OF  MILLARD  FILLMORE. 

'HE  compromise  measure  adopted  as  we  have  seen 
was  the  first  measure  of  importance  during  his  term 
of  office.  The  cabinet  of  General  Taylor  resigned  at 
the  time  of  his  death  but  the  incoming  President 
retained  them  in  office,  and  zealously  carried  out  the 
policy  which  had  been  inaugurated  by  his  predecessor. 
The  Fugitive  Slave  Law  was  supported  by  the 
executive  power,  and  occasioned  wide-spread  dissatisfaction  all 
over  the  non-slave-holding  States.  Before  this  time,  while 
the  slave  owner  could  claim,  and  recapture  his  so-called 
property  when  found,  he  could  not  demand  the  aid  of 
northern  officials,  or  citizens  in  aiding  him  in  the  search ;  but 
this  law  authorized  him  to  employ  the  executive  arm  of  the 
general  government,  in  the  search  and  delivery  of  his  fugitive 
slaves,  and  any  citizens  could  be  called  upon  to  assist  in 
this,  when  a  United  States  Marshal  demanded  it.  This  was 
at  utter  variance  with  the  spirit  of  free  institutions  in  the 
North,  and  the  people  of  that  section,  and  a  large  number  in  the  South, 
were  in  favor  of  its  repeal.  This  led  to  a  fearful  struggle  on  the  part  of 
both  sides,  to  carry  their  points,  and  the  final  result  was  most  disastrous 
to  the  nation. 

In  the  spring  of  185 1,  there  were  enacted  the  most  salutary  changes  in 
the  Post  Office  laws,  and  a  great  reduction  in  rates  of  postage.  The  electric 
telegraph  became  perfected,  and  thousands  of  miles  of  wire,  were  binding 
cities,  countries  and  States.  Thus  instantaneous  communication  could  be 
held  between  distant  points.  Fulton  and  Morse,  by  their  discoveries,  had 
annihilated  time  and  space,  and  bound  the  distant  States  into  a  more  solid 
union,  than  had  ever  been  known  before. 

In  the  summer  of  1851,  there  was  increased  excitement  over  the 
proposed  invasion  of  Cuba  a  second  time     under  General   Lopez.     The 


illfi^j 


"-"■''  ■  i"  'V'' 

3»2 


THE  PERIOD  OF  AGITATION. 


[1850 


watchfulness  of  the  government  was  awakened,  and  the  United  States' 
marshals  were  ordered  to  arrest  any  persons  suspected  of  violating  the 
neutrality  laws.  The  steamer  Cleopatra,  was  detained  in  New  York  harbor, 
and  several  respectable  citizens  were  arrested  for  complicity  in  the  matter. 
General  Lopez  made  his  escape  from  the  authorities,  with  four  hundred  and 
eighty  men,  and  landed  on  the  northern  coast  of  Cuba,  August  iith.  He 
left  Colonel  N.  L.  Crittenden,  of  Kentucky,  with  one  hundred  men  at  that 
point,  and  went  into  the  interior  with  the  rest.  Crittenden  with  his  party 
was  captured;  taken  to  Havana,  and  shot  on  the  i6th.  Lopez  was  attacked 
on  the  13th,  and  his  band  dispersed.  He  had  been  deceived  in  finding  any 
of  the  natives  ready  to  aid  him.  There  were  no  indications  of  any  uprising; 
and  he  was  a  fugitive.  He,  with  six  of  his  men,  was  arrested  on  the  28th, 
and  on  September  ist,  1851,  they  were  all  shot. 

In  the  Fall  of  185 1,  there  was  more  accession  of  territory  for  the  United 
States.  Many  millions  of  acres  of  land,  were  purchased  of  the  Sioux  Indians 
and  they  were  removed  to  the  reservation  appointed  for  them.  The  territory 
of  Minnesota  was  organized,  and  emigration  sofin  filled  it  with  a  white 
population.  The  number  of  Representatives  and  Senators  in  Congress  had 
increased  so  much  since  the  war  of  1812,  that  it  now  became  necessary  to 
enlarge  the  Capitol  building  in  Washington,  and  the  corner-stone  was  laid 
for  a  new  wing  July  4th,  185 1,  by  the  President,  with  appropriate  ceremonies. 

The  expedition  of  Elisha  Kent  Kane,  M.D.,  a  surgeon  in  the  United 
States  Navy,  started  for  the  Arctic  Ocean,  in  1853,  and  resulted  in  many 
scientific  discoveries  which  settled  the  fact  of  an  open  Polar  Sea,  but  the 
object  of  the  search,  to  find  Sir  John  Franklin,  was  not  accomplished. 

The  visit  of  Louis  Kossuth,  an 'Hungarian  patriot  to  this  country  during 
Mr.  Fillmore's  term  of  oflfice,  was  an  occasion  of  much  interest  in 
awakening  the  sympathies  of  the  people,  but  the  government  did  not  give 
him  the  material  aid  he  sought. 

There  was  much  ill  feeling  engendered  between  the  United  States,  and 
England,  growing  out  of  the  Newfoundland  fishery  question ;  but  it  was 
settled  in  October,  1853,  without  any  rupture. 

An  event  of  great  commercial  interest,  occurred  the  same  year  in  the 
distant  East.  Commodore  Perry,— a  brother  of  the  hero  of  Lake  Erie,— 
made  a  treaty  with  the  Government  of  Japan,  in  which  it  was  agreed  that 
part  of  that  Empire  should  be  opened  to  American  commerce;  the 
steamers  from  California  to  China,  should  be  furnished  with  coal,  and 
American  sailors  shipv/recked  on  the  coast  of  Japan,  should  be  hospitably 
treated  by  the  natives. 

The  relations  between  t\m  United  States  and  Spain,  became  involved, 
growing  out  of  the  Cuban  matters,  and  for  a  time  war  was  threatened. 
There  was  a  feeling  in  Europe,  that  the  United  States  wanted  Cuba,  to  hold 
command  of  the  entire  Gulf  of  Mexico.  England  and  France,  asked  that 
the  United  States  enter  into  a  treaty  with  them  which  should  secure  Cuba  to 
Spain,  and  disavow,   "  now   and   forever  hereafter,   all   intention   to   obtain 


i853] 


THE  PERIOD  OF  AGITATION. 


313 


possession  of  the  Island  of  Cuba."  Edward  Everett,  Secretary  of  State, 
answered  this  demand  in  a  logical,  and  unanswerable  argument,  which  was 
praised  for  its  power  and  patriotism,  and  the  subject  was  dropped. 

The  most  important  event  at  the  close  of  President  Fillmore's  term  was 
the  organization  of  the  Territory  of  Washington,  from  the  northern  half  of 
Oregon.  This  became  a  law  on  March  2d,  1853,  two  days  before  the  newly 
elected  President,  General  Franklin  Pierce,  took  his  scat.  William  R.  Kinj;, 
of  Alabama,  had  been  elected  Vice  President,  but  failing  health  prevented 
him  from  entering  upon  the  office. 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  FRANKLIN  PIERCE. 

»HE  day  that  Mr.   Pierce  was  inaugurated,  March  4th, 
'853.  there  was  a  bitter  storm  of   sleet  and  rain,  the 
most  severe  that  had  ever  been  known  in  Washington, 
and  augured  a  tempestuous  administration.  So  it  proved 
in  the  sequel.     The  first  serious  difficulty  that  arose  was 
in  regard  to  the  boundary  line  between  Mexico  and  the 
United  States,  and  for  a  time  war  seemed  inevitable. 
The  Mexican    army  occupied  the    disputed   territory,  but  the 
matter  was  amicably  settled  by  peaceful  negotiation,  and  friendly 
relations  between  the  two  republics  have  existed  ever    since. 
In    the    early  part   of    this   administration   a   large    exploring 
expedition  was  sent  to  the  Pacific  coast  of   Asia,  which  was  of 
great  importance  in  view   of     the  establishment  of   numerous 
steamship   lines   between   the   ports  of    Asia   and   the   United 
States.     The   question   of    connecting    the    Atlantic    and    the 
Pacific  coast  with  railways,  was  agitated  in  connection  with  this 
subject.     Four  explorations  were  sent  out  by  government   to 
survey  as  many   routes :   one  from   the   head   waters   of    the   Mississippi  to 
Paget  Sound  ;  one  from  the  same  river  to  the  Pacific  along  the  thirty-sixth 
parallel  of  latitude  ;  one  by  way  of  the  Great  Salt  Lake  to  San  Francisco, — 
which  line  was  completed  in  1869;  the  fourth  from  the  lower  Mississippi  to 
Southern  California.     The  explorations  were  made,  and  a  vast  amount  of 
scientific,  geographical  and  natural  information  was  gained. 

A  world's  fair  of  Industry  and  Mechanical  Arts  was  opened  in  New 
York,  in  the  spring  of  1853  and  modelled  after  a  similar  one  held  in  Hyde 
Park,  London,  England,  in  1851.  This  gave  great  encouragement  to  the 
manufacturers  and  mechanical  arts  in  America,  and  showed  the  nations  of 
Europe  what  strides  the  young  republic  was  making  in  the  march  of 
improvement.  The  lull  which  precedes  a  deadly  storm  had  fallen  upon  the 
country  at  the  time  Congress  met,  in  December,  1853.  There  was  an 
unprecedented  calm  in  the  political  world,  and  the  quiet  of  a  settled  peace 


1   ;'' 


.■i'..! 


11 V  >\i 


314 


THE  PERIOD  OF  AGITATION. 


[1853 


rested  upon   the  country,  rippled  only  by  a  wave  of    troxible  with  Austria, 
which  was  soon  settled. 

Important  treaties  with  Mexico  and  the  Central  American  States  were  in 
progress  of  settlement  in  regard  to  various  inter-oceanic  communications  by 
railway  or  water.  In  the  distant  Pacific  there  was  a  kingdom  whose 
inhabitants  had  become  civilized,  Christianized,  and  established  in  a  govern- 
ment with  a  wide  extent  of  commerce,  in  a  single  generation,  namely,  the 
Sandwich  Islands.  The  king  and  his  people  desired  to  unite  with  the 
American  States,  and  took  steps  to  bring  that  about.  France  and  England 
at  once  were  jealous,  and  charged  the  whole  scheme  upon  the  American 
missionaries.  The  United  States  Minister  and  the  missionaries  denied  that 
they  had  influenced  the  natives.  The  American  government  denied  the 
right  of  foreign  governments  to  interfere,  and  a  treaty  for  the  annexation 
of  the  Sandwich  Islands  was  in  preparation  when  King  Kamehameha  died, 
and  his  successor  discontinued  negotiations.  These  were  afterward  revived 
in  1866,  by  Queen  Emma,  when  she  returned  from  her  visit  to  England. 

The  slavery  question  which  had  been  so  quiet  for  a  few  years,  suddenly 
presented  itself  just  as  Congress  was  sitting  down  to  work  on  the  important 
matters  of  commerce  and  internal  improvement.  Stephen  Douglass,  United 
States  Senator  from  Illinois,  introduced  a  bill  which  aroused  the  people  to 
the  most  intense  excitement,  and  broke  in  upon  the  harmony  of  Congress. 
In  the  very  center  of  our  continent  there  was  a  vast  domain  embracing  one 
fourth  of  all  the  public  land  of  the  country.  It  extended  from  thirty-seventh 
parallel  of  north  latitude  to  the  British  possessions,  and  was  the  most  fertile 
and  best  watered  portion  of  America.  The  bill  of  Mr.  Douglass  provided 
that  this  territory  should  be  organized  into  two  territories — Kansas  and 
Nebraska — and  contained  a  provision  to  repeal  the  compromise  of  1820,  and 
allow  the  people  to  decide  whether  or  not  slavery  should  be  permitted.  The 
thunder  storm  broke  over  the  country  in  renewed  fury,  and  violent  discussion 
arose  in  the  North  and  South.  The  bill  was  discussed  in  the  Senate  from 
January  30th  to  March  3d,  1854,  and  thousands  of  remonstrances  poured  in 
from  all  parts  of  the  North,  but  it  passed  the  Senate  by  the  decided  vote  of 
thirty-seven  to  fourteen.  In  the  House  of  Representatives  it  was  shorn  of 
its  worst  features  by  amendments,  and  the  final  defeat  seemed  almost 
certain.  A  bill  for  the  construction  of  a  railroad  to  the  Pacific,  was 
reported  to  the  Senate.  A  Homestead  Act,  giving  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  land  from  the  public  domain  to  any  white  male  citizen  who  would 
occupy  and  improve  the  same  for  five  years,  was  introduced  in  the  House 
of  Representatives,,  An  amendment  graduating  the  price  of  land  was  passed 
in  its  stead.  Another  victory  for  slavery.  But  the  excitement  quieted 
down  till  the  9th  of  May,  when  the  Nebraska  bill  was  called  up  again.  At 
once  the  public  pulse  ran  up  to  fever  heat.  The  debate  was  fierce  and 
intense  ;  the  suspense  of  the  people  was  fearful,  but  on  the  22d  of  May,  the 
bill  as  amended  passed  the  House,  was  rushed  to  the  Senate,  adopted  as 
amended,  and  signed  by  the  President  the  last  of  May.     Every  barrier  to  the 


[1853 
with  Austria, 

States  were  in 
lunications  by 
ngdom    whose 
i  in  a  govern- 
jn,  namely,  the 
mite  with    the 
e  and  England 
the   American 
;es  denied  that 
ent  denied  the 
the  annexation 
nehameha  died, 
:erward    revived 
t  to  England. 
'  years,  suddenly 
,n  the  important 
Douglass,  United 
:d  the  people  to 
ony  of  Congress, 
n  embracing  one 
»m  thirty-seventh 
the  most  fertile 
ouglass  provided 
ries— Kansas  and 
nise  of  1820,  and 
permitted.    The 
violent  discussion 
the  Senate  from 
;rances  poured  in 
decided  vote  of 
5  it  was  shorn  of 
seemed  almost 
the  Pacific,    was 
lundred  and  sixty 
itizen  who  would 
ed  in  the  House 
land  was  passed 
:citement   quieted 
lied  up  again.    At 
e   was  fierce  and 
fe  22d  of  May,  the 
lenate,  adopted  as 
ery  barrier  to  the 


«857] 


THE  PERIOD  OF  AGITATION. 


315 


lawful  spread  of  slavery  over  the  public  domain  was  now  removed ;   but  the 
end  was  not  yet. 

Another  chapter  in  the  controversy  opens  at  once.  Spain  had  a  cause 
of  grievance  with  the  United  States  in  regard  to  Cuba.  The  American 
steamship,  Black  Warrior,  was  seized  in  the  port  of  Havana  by  the  Cuban 
authorities.  The  Spanish  government  justified  the  act  when  the  American 
Minister  at  Madrid  asked  for  redress.  But  the  Cubans  became  alarmed  and 
offered  to  give  up  the  ship  by  the  owners  paying  a  fine  of  six  thousand  dollars. 
The  owners  complied  under  protest.  The  matter  was  amicably  adjusted 
between  Spain  and  the  United  States.  The  slave  power  used  the  irritation 
caused  by  this  incident  as  a  pretext  for  a  gigantic  scheme  of  propagating 
slavery. 

In  1854  President  Pierce  appointed  James  Buchanan,  then  ambassador 
at  London,  James  M.  Mason,  ambassador  at  Paris,  and  Mr.  Soule  ambassador 
at  Madrid,  as  a  commission  to  confer  about  the  difificulties  in  Cuba,  and  to 
get  possession  of  that  island  by  purchase  or  otherwise.  The  Ostend  Circular 
was  issued  by  them,  on  the  i8th  of  August,  1854,  in  which  they  said,  "If 
Spain,  actuated  by  pride  and  a  stubborn  sense  of  honor,  should  refuse  to 
sell  Cuba  to  the  United  States,"  then,  "  by  every  law,  human  and  divine, 
wc  shall  be  justified  in  wresting  it  from  Spain,  if  we  possess  the  power." 
This  is  the  argument  of  the  highway  robber,  and  why  it  should  not  have 
been  rebuked  at  Washington  can  only  be  understood  in  the  coming  light 
of  future  events.  In  the  light  of  these  events,  we  learn  that  the  stupendous 
design  embraced  the  plot  of  "  the  Golden  Circle,"  which  was  to  establish  an 
empire  with  Havana  as  its  center,  embracing  an  area  of  sixteen  degrees 
of  latitude  and  'ongitude,  to  take  in  the  slave  States,  the  West  Indies, 
and  a  great  part  of  Mexico  and  the  Central  American  States. 

We  find  a  little  relief  in  turning  from  this  subject  for  a  moment  to 
others. 

The  boundary  line  between  Mexico  and  the  United  States  was 
established  upon  satisfactory  terms,  as  we  have  already  stated.  The  United 
States  was  to  pay  ten  millions  of  dollars,  and  be  released  from  all  obligation 
imposed  in  the  former  treaty  of  1848.  Seven  millions  on  the  ratification  of 
the  treaty  and  three  millions  when  the  line  was  established.  These 
conditions  were  faithfully  carried  out. 

An  important  reciprocity  treaty  was  made  with  Great  Britain,  which  was 
of  great  advantage  to  both  parties,  and  removed  to  a  considerable  extent 
the  restrictions  on  free  trade,  between  the  United  States  and  Canada.  Thq 
two  governments  agreed  to  the  introduction  of  many  articles,  such  as  bread- 
stuff, coal,  fish,  and  lumber,  from  one  to  the  other,  free  of  duty.  England 
gave  the  United  States  the  free  use  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  and  the  canals  of 
the  provinces,  and  in  return,  enjoyed  the  right  of  fishing,  as  far  as  the 
thirty-sixth  degree  of  north  latitude,  and  other  privileges.  This  treaty 
continued  until  1866. 

The  attempt  on  the  island  of  Cuba,  had  failed;  but  there  was  started 


;■?•'(  IMA 


.:..    '■■I. 


3i6 


THE  PERIOD  OF  AGITATION. 


[»853 


ili     : 


at  once  an  expedition  to  Central  America  to  overcome  a  portion  of  the 
golden  circle.  This  was  organized  by  a  warm  personal  friend  of  Jefferson 
Davis,  Secretary  of  War,  under  the  administration  of  Mr.  Pierce.  His  name 
was  William  Walker,  and  he  invaded  the  State  of  Nicaragua,  on  what  is 
known  as  the  Mosquito  Coast,  under  the  pretext  that  the  British  were 
attempting  to  take  this  coast,  in  violation  of  the  principle  of  the  "  Monroe 
doctrine,"  many  persons  had  emigrated  hither  from  the  Southwestern  States. 
The  guns  of  the  United  States  Navy,  had  already  awakened  the  echoes  of 
these  tropical  forests.  The  Mosquito  King,  h*  Id  a  large  tract  of  land  to 
two  British  subjects,  and  the  emigrants  led  by  Colonel  H.  L.  Kenney,  had 
settled  there.  The  attention  of  our  Minister  to  the  State  of  Nicaragua,  had 
been  called  to  this  matter,  and  our  government  could  not  wholly  ignore  the 
subject,  but  dealt  with  it  so  mildly  as  to  leave  the  inference  that  the 
emigrants  would  not  be  molested  by  the  United  States.  Captain  William 
Walker,  went  to  the  aid  of  Colonel  Kenney,  and  with  his  band  attempted 
to  capture  the  city  of  Rivas,  but  his  attack  was  repulsed,  and  he  escaped 
to  the  coast.  Walker  returned,  with  armed  followers,  in  August,  1855,  and 
in  September  the  emigrants  assumed  the  independence  of  Nicaragua.  Walker, 
after  gaining  some  victories,  placed  General  Revas,  in  the  Presidential  chair, 
of  the  independent  State  of  Mosquito,  and  drove  Colonel  Kenney  away.  He 
strengthened  his  military  power,  and  was  recognized  by  a  British  consul. 
The  other  States  of  Central  America,  became  frightened  at  this  display  of 
audacity,  and  combined  to  drive  Walker  out  of  his  position.  Costa  Rica, 
formally  declared  war  against  this  new  power,  and  Walker  raised  a  strong 
band,  and  shamelessly  proclaimed,  that  he  was  there  by  invitation  of  the 
liberal  party  of  Nicaragua.  The  army  of  Costa  Rica  came  to  attack  him, 
and  he  overcame  them.  Walker  then  became  arrogant,  forced  a  loan  from 
the  people,  and  after  Revas  had  abdicated  the  Presidency,  Walker  was 
elected  President,  by  two-thirds  of  the  popular  votes.  He  was  inaugurated 
June  24th,  and  our  government  hastened  to  recognize  the  new  nation.  It 
was  the  opening  chapter  in  the  grand  plot.  He  held  his  position  for  two 
years,  and  finally  was  obliged  to  surrender  his  army  of  two  hundred  men, 
and  flee  to  New  Orleans.  He  attempted  to  raise  another  expedition,  and 
on  the  25th  of  November,  landed  at  Puntas  Arenas,  where  he  was  captured 
by  Commodore  Pauling,  of  the  United  States  Navy,  and  with  two  hundred 
and  thirty-two  men,  was  taken  to  New  York.  President  Buchanan  privately 
commended  Commodore  Pauling  for  the  act,  but  for  "  prudential  reasons" 
publicly  censured  him  in  a  special  message  to  Congress,  January  7th,  1858. 
Walker  was  discharged,  and  preached  a  new  crusade  against  Nicaragua,  all 
through  the  Southern  States,  collecting  money  to  aid  him  in  a  new  invasion. 
He  sailed  from  New  Orleans,  on  a  third  expedition,  but  was  arrested,  and 
tried  before  the  United  States  Court,  for  "  leaving  port  without  a  clearance," 
but  was  acquitted.  Then  he  went  to  Central  America,  recommenced 
hostilities,  was  taken,  and  shot  at  Truxillo  by  the  natives.  Thus  ended  another 
act  in  the  civil  strife  which  was  raging. 


[1853 

3rtion  of    the 
1  of  Jefferson 
:e.     His  name 
1,  on  what  is 
:   British  were 
the  "  Monroe 
western  States, 
the  echoes  of 
ract  of  land  to 
,.  Kenney,  had 
Nicaragua,  had 
loUy  ignore  the 
rence   that  the 
:aptain  William 
band  attempted 
md   he   escaped 
.ugust,i855,  and 
.ragua.     Walker, 
residential  chair, 
inney  away.     He 
t  British   consul. 
It  this  display  of 
ion.     Costa  Rica, 
r  raised  a  strong 
invitation  of  the 
to   attack  him, 
Tced  a  loan   from 
icy,    Walker  was 
was  inaugurated 
new  nation.    It 
position  for  two 
.;o  hundred  men, 
r  expedition,  and 
he  was  captured 
ith  two  hundred 
luchanan  privately 
udential   reasons" 
anuary  7th,  1858. 
|nst  Nicaragua,  all 
in  a  new  invasion, 
was  arrested,  and 
:hout  a  clearance," 
|ica,    recommenced 
hus  ended  anothet 


1857] 


THE  PERIOD  OF  AGITATION. 


i^7 


In  1855,  there  was  serious  trouble  with  the  Indians  in  Oregon,  and 
Washington  Territories,  and  the  United  States  Army  was  sent  to  quell  it,  the 
aborigines  overcame  them,  and  a  general  massacre  of  white  families  followed. 
In  the  season  of  1855-56,  it  seemed  that  the  combination  of  Indians  was 
so  strong  that  the  settlers  would  have  to  abandon  the  territories  named,  but 
General  Wool,  was  sent  to  Oregon,  to  organize  against  the  savages,  and  the 
trouble  was  settled  the  following  summer. 

A  slight  war-cloud  arose  between  Great  Britain  and  the  States,  growing 
out  of  the  enlistment  of  men  in  the  United  States  for  the  Crimean  war. 
This  was  done  under  the  sanction  of  several  British  consuls  in  this  country. 
After  some  diplomatic  correspondence,  the  offending  consuls  were  dismissed 
and  the  British  Parliament  disavowed  any  complicity  in  the  matter. 

The  remaining  events  in  the  administration  of  Franklin  Pierce,  are  full 
of  matter  having  immediate  reference  to  the  great  struggle  going  on  in 
the  country  between  the  advocates  of  the  spread  of  slavery,  and  the 
advocates  of  free  soil.  The  contest  was  most  intense  and  bitter  in 
Congress,  and  in  the  political  canvass.  Silently  there  were  unseen  and 
complicated  moral  forces  at  work,  but  none  the  less  potent  because 
unseen.  A  great  party  sprung  into  existence  in  the  North,  and  found 
many  adherents  in  the  South.  John  C.  Fremont  of  California,  and 
William  L.  Dayton,  were  the  candidates  of  this  party  for  President  and 
Vice  President.  This  was  the  Republican  party.  Another  organization 
throughout  the  country  known  as  the  American  or  Know-Nothing  party,  who 
were  opposed  to  the  foreign  element  in  the  national  politics,  nominated 
Ex-President  Fillmore  and  A.  J.  Donaldson  of  Tenne.ssee,  for  the  same 
offices.  The  Democratic  party  put  James  Buchanan  and  John  C. 
Breckenridge,  in  nomination  for  the  same.  The  political  canvass  of  1856, 
was  the  most  exciting  and  antagonistic  that  the  country  had  ever  seen. 
The  press,  the  pulpit  and  the  rostrum,  rang  with  the  utterances  of  men  who 
were  alive  to  the  questions  of  the  hour.  In  every  hamlet  and  village  of  the 
North,  and  most  of  the  South,  the  party  lines  were  distinctly  drawn,  and 
families,  and  neighborhoods  were  stirred  with  the  agitation  of  the  all 
absorbing  subject. 

The  day  of  the  election  came  and  the  whole  country  waited  in  breathless 
anxiety  for  the  returns.     The   election  of   James    Buchanan    for    President 
and  John  C.  Breckenridge  for  Vice  President,  was  the  result. 


'm 


h'    •    II 


!r 


i*:  ■  r 


M^: 

i  I  ■'■■i 

jiyj^^ 

iiijL 

J! 


318  THE  PERIOD  OF  AGITATION.  [1853 


THE  STRUGGLE  IN  KANSAS. 

ADMINISTRATION  OF  JAMES  BUCHANAN. 

jHE  virtual  repeal  of  the  Missouri  Compromise  of  1820 
led  to  a  renewal  of  the  contest  between  the  two 
contending  forces,  and  Kansas  became  the  battle-ground 
of  the  decided  opponents  on  the  two  sides.  The  people 
from  the  North  began  to  pour  into  the  new  territory  and 
it  became  apparent  that  they  would  largely  outnumber 
the  settlers  from  the  slave  States.  The  South  was 
the  first  in  the  field  and  took  possession  of  land  in  all  parts. 
Missouri  was  near  at  hand  and  Kansas  was  easy  of  access, 
but  the  Southern  people  were  not  an  emigrating  class  and 
their  numbers  came  slowly.  There  were  people  enough  to 
form  a  State  in  time,  but  the  Northern  settlers  could  outvote 
the  Southern.  The  time  for  election  was  coming  and  some 
decisive  steps  must  be  taken.  Large  bodies  of  Missourians 
came  in  1854,  and  when  a  delegate  was  chosen  from  the 
Territory  out  of  twenty-nine  hundred  votes  cast,  seventeen 
hundred  were  by  Missourians  who  had  no  legal  right  to  vote 
there.  These  men  from  "  over  the  border  "  were  in  tents  and  had  artillery 
with  them  as  if  arrayed  for  battle.  A  legislature  was  illegally  chosen  to 
meet  at  Pawnee  City,  one  hundred  miles  from  the  Missouri  line.  This 
body  immediately  adjourned  to  meet  on  the  very  borders  of  that  State 
and  proceeded  to  enact  laws  in  favor  of  slavery.  They  were  vetoed  by 
the  governor  and  passed  over  his  veto.  The  actual  settlers  of  the  territory 
appointed  a  convention  to  meet  at  Topeka,  October  19th.  Governor 
Ruden  was  nominated  for  Delegate  to  Congress  and  at  once  elected  by 
the  legal  voters.  On  the  23d  of  the  same  month  a  convention  chosen 
by  the  actual  citizens  of  Kansas  adopted  a  Constitution  providing  that  it 
should  be  a  free  State,  and  asked  admission  to  the  Union  under  this 
instrument.  Governor  Ruden  and  the  pro-slavery  delegate  appeared  at 
Washington  as  contestants  for  seats.  In  the  meanwhile  January  17th,  1855,  an 
election  was  held  and  the  state  officers  were  chosen  by  the  legal  voters 
of  the  Territory.  President  Pierce,  January  24th,  sent  a  special  message 
to  Congress   representing  the  action  of  the  people  in  Kansas  in  forming  a 

State  government  as  a  rebellion. 

Then  there  came  a  reign  of  terror  for  Kansas  in  which  violence,  blood- 
shed and  fraud  were  rampant.  The  actual  settlers  resisted  the  efforts  of 
their  pro-slavery  neighbors  in  forcing  upon  them  a  condition  of  things 
obnoxious  to  their  sense  of  right  and  justice.  Men  were  slain  and  driven 
out   of   their   possessions   for   expressing   anti-slavery  sentiments  and   the 


[1853 


of  1820 
he   two 
-ground 
;  people 
tory  and 
tnumber 
ith    was 
ill  parts. 
:    access, 
lass   and 
lough  to 
I  outvote 
ind  some 
ssourians 
from    the 
seventeen 
t  to  vote 
i  artillery 
chosen  to 
ne.    This 
lat   State 
etoed  by 
territory 
Governor 
acted  by 
)n   chosen 
ng  that  it 
nder    this 
peared   at 
,  1855,  an 
al   voters 
message 
forming  a 


1857] 


THE  PERIOD  OF  AGITATION. 


319 


struggle  seemed  to  be  like  the  death  grapple  of  giants.  Finally  a  committee 
of  investigation  was  sent  from  Congress,  and  a  majority  of  them  agreed 
in  their  report  to  sustain  the  acts  of  the  legal  voters  and  refuse  the  frauds 
by  which  Whitfield  had  been  elected  and  the  pro-slavery  constitution 
passed.  The  member  of  the  Committee  from  Missouri  alone  dissented  from 
the  report,  and  the  mission  failed  to  accomplish  any  result  either  way. 
Then  came  the  election  of  Buchanan  as  fifteenth  President  of  the 
United  States. 

There   had   been   an    important    case   pending   in    the    United    States 
Supreme  Court  in  which  a  decision  had  been  reached  before   the    election, 
but  it  was  withheld  from  the  public  until   the  result    of   the   popular  vote 
should  be    known.     It    was   the    famous    Dred    Scott    decision.     Scott  was 
a  slave  of   a  United    States  ofificer   who   had   taken    him  into  a  free   State 
and  while   there   Scott  had  married    the  slave    girl  of   another  ofificer,  both 
masters  giving  their  consent.     Two  children  had  been  born  of  this  marriage 
on  free  soil.     The    master  of   Scott    bought    the    wife    of    his    slave,    and 
brought    the    parents   and    their   children  to    Missouri   and   held   them  all. 
Scott  claimed  his   freedom   on  the   ground  of   his   involuntary  service   in  a 
free  State  and  the  District  Court  had  given  him  the  case.     It   went  to  the 
Supreme  Court  of   the  State  which    reversed   the   decision.     Then  it   came 
before    the  Supreme  Court    upon  the   question  of  jurisdiction  solely.     The 
Chief  Justice  of   that  court  decided  against    Scott,  and  announced  that  no 
person  "  whose  ancestors  were  imported  into  this  country  and  sold  as  slaves  " 
had  any  right  to  sue    in   the   courts  of  the  United   States.    The   majority 
of  the  Court  agreed  with  him.     But   after   the   election  was   decided   they 
published    their    decision,  and   went  beyond   the   question  at   issue   to  say 
that  our  Revolutionary  fathers  "  for  more  than  a  century  before "  regarded 
the  African    race    in  America  as  "  so  far    inferior,  that    they  had  no  rights 
ivhich   the  white  man  was   bound  to  respect"  and   they  were  never  thought 
or   spoken   of  except   as  property.     President    Buchanan    in    his    inaugural 
address    two    days    before    this    strange    decision    had    been    promulgated, 
referred    to  a   mysterious   something   which  would  settle    the   slavery  ques- 
tion "  speedily  and    finally,"  and    expressed    the    hope  that    thus    the  long 
agitation  of    this   disturbing   question    was  approaching   its  end !    But  the 
end  was   not  yet.     Kansas   was   still  a   battle-ground   and    the    contending 
parties  had  not    given  up    the  struggle.     Peace   was   for   a  while    restored, 
but    the  two  forces  were  energetic  and   active.    The  question  of  a  free  or 
a  slave  State  was  not  yet  decided. 

The  pro-slavery  party  had  met  in  convention  and  framed  a  constitu- 
tion favorable  to  their  side,  at  Lecompton,  in  September,  1857.  It  was 
submitted  to  the  people  in  this  way.  They  could  vote  "  For  the  consti- 
tution with  slavery  "  or  "  For  the  Constitution  without  slavery  ;  "  in  any  case 
they  must  vote  for  this  Constitution,  which  was  "all  one  way,"  and  that 
protected  slavery  until  1864.  Of  course  the  free  soil  men  would  not  vote 
at  all,  and  the  pro-slavery  Constitution  was  adopted  by  a  large  majority. 


„-  ''■  i'''  '■^Uii 
I;-  ■■  ii.'-.  H  a 


'■    n 


IS 


'iilL 


320 


THE  PERIOD  OF  AGITATION. 


I1853 


An  election  for  the  territorial  legislature  was  held  under  assurance 
from  Governor  Walker  that  the  people  should  not  be  molested,  and 
although  there  were  many  frauds  the  anti-slavery  party  had  a  large 
majority.  This  legislature  ordered  that  the  Lecompton  Constitution, 
should  be  sent  to  the  people  to  vote  "  for "  or  "  against "  the  measure  as 
a  whole.  It  was  rejected  by  over  ten  thousand  majority.  But  in  spite  of 
this  the  President  sent  the  Lecompton  Constitution  to  the  Senate,  February 
2d,  1858,  by  whom  it  was  once  passed.  The  House  of  Representatives 
amended  the  bill  by  referring  it  again  to  the  people  of  Kansas  for 
acceptance  or  rejection.  It  was  again  rejected  by  over  ten  thousand 
majority,  and  finally  Kansas  was  received  into  the  Union  as  a  free  State. 
In  the  year  1862  the  opinion  of  the  Supreme  Court  was  practically 
rejected  as  unsound  by  granting  a  black  citizen  a  passport  to  travel  in 
foreign  countries.  Such  were  some  of  the  skirmishes  which  preceded  the 
war  of  1861-65. 

The  "  Southern  Commercial  Convention  "  convened  at  Vicksburg,  voted 
on  the  nth  of  May,  1859,  ^^^^  "-^^^  ^^^s,  State  or  Federal,  prohibiting  the 
slave  trade,  ought  to  be  abolished,"  a  scheme  was  started  to  promote  the 
African  slave  trade,  under  the  specious  disguise  of  an  "African  labor-supply 
Association."  The  withdrawal  of  American  cruisers  from  the  coast  of 
Africa,  was  discussed  in  the  United  States  Senate  by  Mr.  Sidell,  of  Louisiana, 
and  Mr.  Buchanan  protested  against  the  right  of  British  men-of-war  to  search 
suspected  slave-traders  who  flew  the  United  States  flag.  Ship-loads  of  slaves 
were  landed  in  southern  ports  directly  from  Africa.  The  northern  States 
had  in  many  instances  passed  personal-liberty  laws,  restricting  the  Fugitive 
Slave  law  so  far  as  they  could  do,  without  a  rupture  with  the  national  law. 
This  exasperated  the  other  party.  A  National  Emancipation  Society  was 
formed  in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  which  aimed  at  the  gradual  extinction  of  the 
institution  of  slavery. 

The  attention  of  the  country  was  turned  to  the  disturbing  Mormon 
question.  These  people  in  Utah  were  rising  in  a  revolution  because  they 
could  not  gain  admission  as  a  State.  They  destroyed  the  records  of  the 
United  States  District  Court,  and  by  orders  of  Brigham  Young,  their 
governor  and  spiritual  guide,  they  were  to  look  to  him  for  all  law.  Colonel 
Cummings,  the  actual  governor  of  the  Territory,  was  sent  with  an  army  to 
enforce  the  United  States  law.  The  Mormons  destroyed  a  provision  train, 
committed  sundry  depredations,  but  finally  Young  surrendered  the  seal  of 
the  territory,  and  threatened  to  gather  his  people  and  leave  the  country 
rather  than  submit  to  Gentile  rule.  But  he  thought  better  of  it,  and  in  a 
short  time  Utah  made  another  unsuccessful  attempt  to  enter  the  Union. 

This  little  episode  made  scarcely  any  impression  upon  the  great  excitement 
that  was  agitating  the  country.  The  "  Mormon  War  "  had  ended  in  smoke. 
The  South  American  troubles  were  settled.  Walker  in  Nicaragua,  had  ceased 
to  interest  the  public  mind,  and  Congress  was  engaged  upon  the  Homestead 
\ct,  the  Pacific  Railroad  bills,  Soldiers'  Pensions  for  the  war  of  18 12,  and 


1859] 


THE  PERIOD  OF  AGITATION. 


321 


ier  assurance 
tiolested,  and 

had    a   large 

Constitution, 
e  measure  as 
,ut  in  spite  of 
late,  February 
.epresentatives 
f    Kansas    for 

ten   thousand 

s  a  free  State. 

vas   practically 

t   to   travel  in 

preceded   the 

icksburg,  voted 
prohibiting  the 
o   promote  the 
:an  labor-supply 
ti   the   coast  of 
11,  of  Louisiana, 
-of-war  to  search 
3-loads  of  slaves 
northern   States 
ig  the   Fugitive 
:he  national  law. 
ion  Society  was 
ctinction   of  the 

;urbing  Mormon 
an   because  they 
;   records  of  the 
n   Young,    their 
ill  law.     Colonel 
with  an  army  to 
provision  train, 
iered  the  seal  of 
ave   the   country 
of  it,   and  in  a 
er  the  Union, 
great  excitement 
ended  in  smoke, 
ragua,  had  ceased 
n  the  Homestead 
f/SLT  of  1812,  and 


other  peaceful  and  unexciting  measures,  when  suddenly  the  smouldering 
flame  of  excitement  broke  out  afresh,  and  startled  the  land  from  Maine  to 
Florida,  and  from  ocean  to  ocean.  John  Brown,  an  honest  enthusiast  with 
a  handful  of  followers  had  assembled  at  Harper's  Ferry,  Virginia,  and  with 
a  written  constitution,  a  secretary  of  war,  a  secretary  of  state,  and  a 
treasurer,  he  was  ready  to  declare  war  with  the  government  as  far  as  slavery 
was  concerned.  His  little  band  consisted  of  seventeen  white  men  and  five 
blacks.  The  whole  land  was  informed  by  telegraph  from  Baltimore,  that 
"  an  armed  band  of  Abolitionists  have  full  possession  of  the  Government 
Arsenal,  at  Harper's  Ferry."  All  the  border  States  were  in  a  ferment  of 
anxiety ;  their  homes,  their  sacred  altars,  and  their  institutions  were  in  danger. 
Governor  Wise,  of  Virginia,  summoned  the  State  Militia,  and  General 
Robert  E.  Lee  with  United  States  troops  and  cannon,  were  hastened  to 
the  spot  to  suppress  the  bloody  insurrection.  Two  of  Brown's  men  were 
slain,  and  he  was  arrested.  He  was  tried  for  exciting  the  slaves  to 
insurrection,  for  treason  and  murder,  found  guilty,  and  shot  on  the  2d  day 
of  December,  1859.  This  was  the  raid  of  John  Brown.  The  excitement 
and  terror  of  Governor  Wise,  of  Virginia,  was  very  great.  The  most 
exaggerated  rumors  concerning  the  whole  affair  spread  over  the  whole  country, 
and  Governor  Wise  prepared  to  repel  the  invasion  which  he  was  sure  was 
being  organized  in  the  Northern  States  to  sweep  over  Virginia.  A  thorough 
investigation  developed  the  fact  that  Brown  had  less  than  twenty  persons 
associated  with  him  in  his  undertaking,  and  no  open  sympathizers  in  the 
whole  land. 

The  indications  of  the  elections  of  1858  and  1859,  pointed  to  a  loss  of 
supremacy  in  the  party  which  had  held  the  national  government  so  long, 
and  something  must  be  done  to  protect  their  own  interests.  The  designing 
politicians  had  a  gigantic  plot  in  view,  and  while  the  great  mass  of  the 
people  in  the  South  were  a  law-abiding  people,  who  would  abide  by  the 
constitution  and  the  laws  of  their  country  if  left  to  their  own  judgment, 
these  men,  comparatively  few  in  number,  deliberately  set  about  the  scheme 
of  severing  the  Union,  and  establishing  a  Confederacy  of  States  in  the 
South.  The  time  had  come  for  their  action,  for  the  new  party  were  growing 
strong.  If  they  did  not  strike  at  the  close  of  Mr.  Buchanan's  administration, 
although  they  might  succeed  in  electing  a  President  in  sympathy  with  them, 
their  power  in  Congress  would  be  much  weakened.  Now  if  they  could  give 
the  people  of  the  South  another  cause  for  their  action  and  succeed  in  "  firing 
the  Southern  heart "  to  the  sense  of  wrong  they  would  gain  a  material 
advantage  when  the  blow  should  fall.  It  would  not  do  then  to  have  their 
candidate  of  the  Democratic  party  elected,  and  the  first  point  was  to  assure 
the  election  of  a  Northern  man  to  the  office  of  President,  by  the  vote  of 
Northern  States.  How  could  this  be  done?  Why,  the  answer  was  easy 
enough.  Divide  the  grand  old  Democratic  Party  into  two  factions.  Then 
with  the  plea  that  the  Republican  party  was  a  sectional  one,  and  would 
oppress  the  South,  inflame  the  people  of  the  slave-owning  States  with  the 


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322 


THE  PERIOD  OF  AGITATION. 


[1850 


idea   that  their  State    institutions  were   in    danger,   and    arouse    them    to 
patriotism  for  the  State. 

Now  the  people  of  the  South  were  brave,  her  men  were  conscientious, 
and  her  upper  classes  were  the  peers  of  any  nation  in  intelligence.  The 
doctrines  of  Jefferson  had  been  the  theme  of  her  orators  for  two  generations, 
and  the  theory  of  State  Sovereignty  had  taken  root  in  a  rich  and  productive- 
soil,  where  it  had  grown  to  a  stalwart  tree.  The  training  of  years  had  taught 
the  great  mass  of  her  people  to  believe  that  slavery  was  right,  or  if  not 
morally  right,  was  a  necessary  evil  in  the  very  condition  of  things.  Tlie 
North  had  agitated,  discussed,  and  stirred  up  strife  when  the  whole  land  had 
been  prosperous  and  at  peace,  and  had  caused  contention  and  unreasonable 
commotion  with  their  internal  affairs.  What  though  the  North  disavowed 
any  intention  of  interfering  with  slavery  in  the  States  where  it  then  existed, 
the  very  agitation  of  the  subject  on  their  borders,  made  them  restless  and 
stirred  up  their  slaves.  The  conspiracy  of  a  few  score  men  could  magnify  all 
this  into  a  grievous  wrong,  and  stir  the  warm  blood  of  the  South  to  the 
intensest  heat,  and  unite  the  people  in  a  common  cause,  as  dear  to  them  as  that 
which  moved  the  hearts  of  their  Revolutionary  sires. 

For  months  there  had  been  indications  that  the  convention  which  was 
to  meet  in  the  city  of  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  would  be  a  stormy  one, 
and  there  were  mutterings  of  the  coming  tempest,  that  should  shake  the 
country  to  its  center.  The  gathering  of  the  six  hundred  delegates,  from  all 
States  in  the  Union,  began  on  the  23d  of  April,  i860 ;  and  from  the  hour  of  its 
opening,  there  was  the  strong  pressure  of  the  conspiracy  felt.  Caleb  Cushing, 
was  chairman,  and  Stephen  A.  Douglass  of  Illinois,  was  the  strongest  candidate 
whose  name  had  been  proposed  before  the  convention.  He  had  won  the 
title  of  "  Little  Giant  of  tne  West. "  His  idea  of  popular  sovereignty,  had  been 
engrafted  into  the  platform  of  the  party  at  Cincinnati  four  years  before. 
The  oppositions  were  in  favor  of  a  speedy  adoption  of  the  institution  of 
slavery  as  a  national  institution,  but  the  friends  of  Douglass  were  not  ready 
for  this.  The  convention,  by  a  handsome  majority,  re-affirmed  the  doctrine 
of  popular  sovereignty,  and  at  once  the  plot  was  sprung.  The  leader  of  the 
delegation  from  Alabama,  announced  that  he,  and  his  colleagues,  would 
formally  withdraw  from  the  convention.  Other  delegates  followed,  and  a 
new  convention  was  formed,  in  another  hall.  The  dismemberment  of  the 
Democratic  Party,  was  complete,  and  the  plot  was  subsequently  unmasked  by 
Mr.  Glenn,  of  Mississippi,  who  said  in  the  new  convention,  "  I  tell  Southern 
men  here,  and  for  them  I  tell  the  North,  that  in  less  than  sixty  days,  you  will 
find  a  united  South,  standing  side  by  side  with  us."  Charleston  was  the 
scene  of  great  delight  that  night,  for  South  Carolina  understood  what  that 
utterance  signified.  The  result  of  this  secession  was  that  John  C 
Breckenridge,  was  nominated  by  the  National  Democratic  Party,  and  Stephen 
A.  Douglass  was  the  candidate  of  the  Regular  Democratic  Party.  The 
Republicans  nominated  Abraham  Lincoln,  of  Illinois,  for  President,  and 
Hannibal  Hamlin,  of  Maine,    for    Vice  President.      A    fourth    party.    The 


[i850 
use    them    to 

conscientious, 
Uigence.     The 
/o  generations, 
and  productive 
ars  had  taught 
ght,  or   if    not 
things.      The 
vhole  land  h;id 
d  unreasonable 
orth  disavowed 
it  then  existed, 
lem  restless  and 
)uld  magnify  all 
le  South  to  the 
ir  to  them  as  that 

ntion  which  was 
e  a  stormy  one, 
should  shake  the 
^legates,  from  all 
Dm  the  hour  of  its 
Caleb  Gushing, 
Tongest  candidate 
He  had  won  the 
jreignty,  had  been 
jOur  years  before, 
[he   institution  of 
IS  were  not  ready 
[med  the  doctrine 
The  leader  of  the 
colleagues,  would 
;s  followed,  and  a 
;mberment  of  the 
;ntly  unmasked  by 
"  I  tell  Southern 
|ixty  days,  you  will 
[harleston  was  the 
icrstood  what  that 
fas    that    John   C. 
arty,  and  Stephen 
:ratic  Party.     The 
■or  President,  and 
ourth    party.   The 


1861] 


THE  PERIOD  OF  AGITATION. 


323 


Constitutional  American  Party,  which  adopted  the  constitution  of  the  United 
States  for  its  platform,  nominated  John  Bell,  of  Tennessee,  for  the  Presidency. 
And  the  political  contest  was  fought  with  such  vigor  as  had  never  been 
known  before.  The  Republican  and  the  pro-slavery  wing  of  the  Democratic 
party,  were  antagonistically  opposed,  and  the  brunt  of  the  struggle  waged 
between  them.  Abraham  Lincoln  had  said  there  is  "  an  irrepressible  conflict 
between  Freedom,  and  Slavery."  "  The  Republic  cannot  exist  half  slave,  and 
half  free,"  and  "  Freedom  is  the  normal  condition  in  all  the  Territories." 
This  was  the  Republican  side  of  the  question.  Mr.  Breckenridge  claimed 
that  no  power  existed  that  might  lawfully  control  slavery  in  the  Territories, 
and  it  existed  in  full  force  wherever  a  slave-holder,  and  his  slaves,  entered 
it,  and  it  was  the  duty  of  the  National  Government  to  protect  it  there.  The 
issue  was  plain  and  decided ;  no  one  need  misunderstand  it  Abraham 
Lincoln  was  elected  by  a  majority  of  the  votes  in  the  electoral  college ;  but 
since  there  were  four  candidates  in  the  field  he  had  a  large  minority  of  the 
popular  vote.  This  was  a  part  of  the  plot,  to  claim  that  he  was  a  sectional, 
and  a  minority  President.  There  would  be  four  months  in  which  tc  mature 
and  carry  out  the  plans  already  working  so  well. 

Two  years  before  this,  William  L.  Yancey  had  written  to  a  friend  : 
"  Organize  committees  all  over  the  Cotton  States ;  fire  the  Southern  heart ; 
instruct  the  Southern  mind;  give  courage  to  each  other;  and  at  the  proper 
moment,  by  one  organized,  concerted  action,  precipitate  the  Cotton  States 
into  revolution."  Mr.  Yancey  had  been  an  active  public  speaker  in  the  South, 
during  the  canvass  of  i860,  and  when  the  result  was  known,  the  leaders  in 
the  South  were  as  much  elated  over  the  election  of  Lincoln,  as  any  one  in 
the  Republican  party.  Now  the  pretext  that  the  platform,  and  the  policy  of 
the  Republican  party,  and  the  utterances  of  the  President  elect,  with  the 
fact  that  he  was  a  sectional  candidate,  elected  by  Northern  votes,  and  these 
a  minority  of  all  the  votes  cast,  led  the  people  of  the  South  to  fear  that  he 
would  be  a  usurper  of  their  rights,  and  the  people  listened  until  their 
righteous  indignation  was  stirred,  and  they  were  ready  to  make  one  bold  and 
united  stand  for  their  inalienable  rights.  In  the  third  year  of  the  war,  a 
Southern  gentleman  wrote  in  a  letter  to  a  f-iend,  "  Perhaps  there  never  was 
a  people  more  bewitched,  beguiled  and  befooled,  than  we  were  when  we 
went  into  this  rebellion." 

In  the  President's  Cabinet,  there  were  three,  if  not  four  men,  in  active 
sympathy  with  the  movement,  and  they  were  anxious  to  wait  until  the  end  of 
the  term  before  the  blow  should  be  struck.  There  were  arsenals,  fortresses, 
custom  houses,  and  other  public  property  in  the  South.  The  forts  and 
arsenals  in  the  North  were  stripped  of  all  movable  military  stores,  and  they 
were  sent  South.  The  United  States  Navy  was  scattered  to  the  four 
quarters  of  the  globe,  and  most  of  the  ships  in  commission  were  beyond  the 
reach  of  speedy  recall ;  others  were  lying  in  ordinary  in  the  navy  yards 
under  the  pretense  of  being  repaired,  but  no  work  was  being  done  upon 
them.    The  United  States  Army  Officers  in  suspected  sympathy  with  the 


324 


THE  PERIOD  OF  AGITATION. 


[1850 


I:  '■  m 


r  ?  H 


North,  were  sent  to  the  extreme  West,  and  the  credit  of  the  government  was 
purposely  injured.  A  small  loan  could  not  find  a  market  at  twelve  per  cent, 
interest.  This  was  the  condition  of  things.  Some  wanted  to  strike  the 
blow  as  soon  as  the  election  was  over ;  others  had  another  plan,  which  was  this, 
as  avowed  by  a  disunionist  who  was  in  the  plot. 

Near  the  close  of  Buchanan's  term  "  we  intend  to  take  possession  of  the 
army  and  navy  and  the  archives  of  government ;  Hot  allow  the  electoral 
votes  to  be  counted  ;  proclaim  Buchanan  Provisional  President  if  he  will  do 
as  we  wish,  if  not  choose  another,  seize  Harper's  Ferry  Arsenal  and  the 
Norfolk  Navy  Yard,  and  sending  armed  men  from  the  former,  and  armed 
vessels  from  the  latter,  seize  the  city  of  Washington  and  establish  a  new 
government."  Why  was  this  not  done?  Lewis  Cass  was  Secretary  of  State, 
and  he  discovered  the  treason  of  his  associates  ;  but  being  powerless  to 
avert  the  danger,  he  resigned.  The  Attorney  General  was  promoted  to  be 
Secretary  of  State,  and  E.  M.  Stanton  was  called  to  be  Attorney  General, 
Secretaries  Holt,  Dix  and  Stanton,  all  of  whom  had  been  called  into  the 
Cabinet  after  its  first  formation,  were  loyal  men,  and  brought  a  pressure  upon 
the  President  that  he  could  not  withstand,  and  while  he  did  nothing  to 
openly  aid  the  plot,  he  was  obliged  to  make  a  show  of  sustaining  the 
National  government. 

The  first  step  to  open  revolt  was  made  by  South  Carolina,  A  convention 
of  delegates  in  Charleston,  adopted  an  Ordinance  of  Secession  December 
20th,  i860.  This  was  signed  by  one  hundred  and  seventy  members.  A 
similar  ordinance  was  passed  by  the  following  States  in  the  order  given ; 
Mi::sissippi,  January  9th,  1861 ;  Florida,  January  loth ;  Alabama,  January 
iith;  Georgia,  January  19th;  Louisiana,  January  26th;  Texas,  February 
1st;  Virginia,  April  17th;  Arkansas,  May  6th  ;  North  Carolina,  May  20th; 
Tennessee,  June  8th. 

On  the  fourth  of  February,  1861,  delegates  of  six  of  the  States  above,  met 
in  Montgomery,  Alabama,  and  formed  a  league  styled  Thp:  Confederate 
States  of  America.  A  provisional  Constitution  was  adopted  at  once,  and 
Mr.  Jefferson  Davis,  of  Mississippi,  was  chosen  Provisional  President,  and 
Alexander  H.  Stephens,  of  Georgia,  Vice  President.  This  organization  of  a 
few  conspirators, — since  no  Ordinance  of  Secession  was  ever  submitted  to 
popular  vote, — became  a  self-styled  government,  and  made  war  on  the  United 
States ;  seized  its  public  property :  put  a  loan  upon  the  markets  of  the  world . 
issued  letters  of  marque  and  reprisal,  and  raised  armies  to  overthrow  the 
government  while  yet  its  own  instrument  was  in  the  presidential  chair  in 
Washington.  And  to  increase  the  infamy,  the  Attorney  General  of  the  United 
States  declared  that  the  President  had  no  right  to  interfere  to  prevent  the 
property  from  being  seized,  and  so  millions  of  dollars  worth  of  public  property 
fell  into  the  hands  of  the  South,  without  an  arm  being  raised  to  prevent  it. 

A  Peace  Convention  was  held  in  Washington,  in  January,  1861,  but  the 
Senators  and  Representatives,  rejecting  all  offers  of  compromise  that  were  pr& 


m ' ! 


11850 

rnment  was 

ve  per  cent. 

strike   the 

ch  was  this, 

ission  of  the 
the  electoral 
if  he  will  do 
icn;il  and  the 
.    and   armed 
t'ablish  a  new 
:tary  of  State, 

powerless  to 
•omoted  to  be 
orney  General. 
:alled  into  the 
I  pressure  upon 
did  nothing  to 

sustaining  the 

^,    A  convention 
ssion   December 
y  members.     A 
the  order  given : 
abama,   Janua.y 
Texas,  February 
Una,  May  20th , 

ptates  above,  met 
K   CONFEDEKATE 
Lted  at  once,  and 
lal  President,  and 
1  organization  of  a 
ver  submitted  to 
Ivar  on  the  United 
cets  of  the  world . 
■  to  overthrow  the 
esidential  chair  m 
neral  of  the  United 

ere  to  prevent  the 
lofpublicprop^'^^y 
ed  to  prevent  it. 
uary,i86i.butt^^ 
>mise  that  were  pre- 


i;]6i] 


THE  PERIOD  OF  AGITATION. 


325 


scnted  from  Congress,  and  from  this  Peace  Convention,  withdrew  as  their  States 
seceded  under  the  pretext  of  being  loyal  to  the  State. 

The  poor,  distressed  President  Buchanan,  had  to  do  his  best  for  the  t\\  o 
months  which  remained  of  his  term  of  office.  Tlie  Southern  members  of  hiii 
Cabinet,  holding  on  to  their  positions  as  long  as  they  could  be  of  any  service 
to  the  South,  there  and  then  leaving  their  chief  to  fill  their  places  with 
Northern  men.  The  first  overt  act  was  performed  when  Major  Robeit 
Anderson,  a  loyal  Kentuckian,  refused  to  give  up  Fort  Sumter,  into  which 
lie  had  retired  from  a  weaker  fort,  Moultrie. 

The  General-in-chief  of  the  army  was  Lieutenant  General  Scott,  who  was 
enfeebled  in  body  and  mind  from  age,  and  although  he  was  loyal  he  was 
unable  to  cope  with  the  mighty  problem.  He,  however,  caused  Mr.  Lincoln 
to  be  warned  of  his  danger,  and  the  President  elect  came  through  Baltimore 
alone  on  his  way  to  Washington,  on  the  morning  of  February  23d,  1861,  and 
remained  there  until  his  inauguration,  on  the  4tli  of  March. 


:'if  11  ill 


I.  i' 


■vi.! 


■■'li 


III 


Mill! 

I)  i 


CIVIL  WAR.  1861-5. 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  ABRAHAM   LINCOLN. 

'HR  sixteenth  President  of  the  United  States  was 
inducted  into  his  office  in  the  fear  of  having  his  lift- 
taken  at  any  moment,  and  General  Scott  had  arranffid 
the  military  forces  at  his  disposal  in  such  a  way 
they  could  be  called  upon  in  any  exigency  that  mi^,  .t 
arise  from  any  suspected  outbreak  in  the  National 
Capitol.  But  all  passed  off  quietly,  and  the  President 
took  the  oath  of  office  as  his  predecessors  had  done  in  the  open 
air,  at  the  east  portico  of  the  Capitol.  The  Senate  confirmee! 
his  nominations  at  once.  The  new  administration  set  itself  at 
work  with  great  zeal  to  ascertain  the  resources  of  the  government 
and  FOUND  what  we  have  already  hinted  at.  The  public  credit 
was  destroyed,  but  the  now  loyal  Congress  set  at  work  to 
restore  it.  The  Army  and  Navy  were  of  little  use ;  of  the 
former  there  were  only  i6,cxx)  men,  and  most  of  them  were  on 
the  frontiers,  sixteen  forts  with  all  their  equipments  were  in  tlic 
hands  of  the  South,  and  all  the  arsenals.  The  value  <-  c 
public  property  in  the  hands  of  the  insurgents  was  thirty  millions  of  ( 
There  were  forty-four  vessels  in  commission,  and  of  these  only  one,  tuc 
Brooklyn,  of  twenty-five  guns,  was  ready  for  immediate  service,  and  a  store 
ship.  Many  officers  of  the  navy  were  Southern  men  and  had  resigned, 
leaving  this  branch  of  service  very  weak  and  crippled.  The  first  gun  fired  at 
Sumter,  April  I2th,  1861,  awoke  the  slumbering  nation  which  had  thought 
that  all  this  array  in  the  South  was  for  effect.  Before  Major  Anderson  and 
his  heroic  band  brought  away  the  flag  from  Sumter,  which  he  evacuated  hut 
did  not  surrender,  there  was  a  divided  sentiment  in  the  North;  some  thought 
that  there  could  be  no  war  and  that  a  peaceful  solution  was  still  possible, 
others  comprehended  the  spirit  of  the  revolt  and  were  satisfied  that  the 
struggle  would  produce  blood-shed.  The  flag  was  taken  from  Sumter,  on 
April  14th,  and  the  sun  went  down  that  day  with  a  united  North  arrayed 
against  a  united  South.  Such  an  uprising  the  land  had  not  seen  before. 
Men  of  all  grades  of  society,  and  every  political  and  religious  creed  were 
ready  to  spring  to  arms  in  defense  of  the  Union,  at  the  call  of  the  President 
two  days  later.  Seventy-five  thousand  men  were  called  for  a  three  months' 
service,  and  were  hurried  to  the  front  from  all  the  Northern  States.  The  six 
slave  States,  to  whose  governors  the  requisition  for  troops  was  sent,  treated 
the  whole  subject  with  utter  scorn.  The  crusade  was  spontaneous ;  in  every 
town  and  hamlet  and  village  the  Stars  and  Stripes  were  displayed,  and  brave 


1865] 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


1^7 


men  enlisted  to  don  the  union  blue,  and  march  to  the  front.  Nothing  like  it 
had  been  known  since  the  crusades  of  the  Middle  Ajjes  to  redeem  the  tomb 
of  the  Saviour  from  the  Saracen.  The  Nation  was  in  danger,  and  the  old 
spirit  of  the  fathers  now  glowed  in  the  bosoms  of  their  sons.  But  little  did 
they  know  what  was  before  them.  Three  months  they  thought  would  suffice 
to  put  down  the  revolt.  Three  months  and  they  would  come  home  as  heroes, 
and  a  grateful  country  would  honor  them  as  the  preservers  of  their  nation. 
They  soon  found  that  the  South  was  organized  for  war,  and  fighting  at  their 
own  doors  on  the  defensive.  They  had  mistaken  the  spirit  and  temper  of  the 
men  in  arms  against  the  government. 

In   the  South  there  was  also  a  wide-spread  mistake  in   regard  to  the 
North.     They  thought  that   the   Northern   people  would   not  fight,  and  that 
their  friends  of  the  pro-slavery  party  there  would  make  a  strong  resistance  in 
their  favor.     Within  seven   days  after  the  attack  on  Sumter,  the  South  had 
an  army  in  the  field  ready  for  battle,  and  the  shout  "  on  to  Washington,"  was 
as  enthusiastic  as  the  cry  "  on  to  Richmond  "  was  in  the   North.     The  South 
and  the  North  were  of  the  same   race,  but   under  the  sunny  sky  the  former 
had  warmed  up  to  fever  heat,  and  were  ready  for  war  at  the  instant ;  the  latter 
under  a  colder  climate,   was   longer   in   being   aroused,  but  when    once    in 
thorough  earnest  they  had    entered  the  strife  they  did  so  with  the  dogged 
determination  to  conquer  or  die.     These  were  the  two  parties  in  the  contest, 
and  now  in  dead  earnest,  there  could  be  no  cessation  in  the  deadly  grapple 
until  one  or  the  other  should  succumb  to  superior  strength  and  determination. 
Governor    Pickens    had    said    to    the    people    of    the    cotton    growing 
States,  "  Sow   your  seed    in    peace  for   old  Virginia  will  have   to  bear   the 
brunt  of  battle."     So  prompt  was  the      'rising  cjf  the  people  in  the  North 
that    the    very    next    day    after    the    issue    of   the    call    for   troops    several 
companies    of    militia    arrived  in  Washington    ready  for    the    service.     The 
Sii'th    Regiment  of    Massachusetts  volunteers  were  attacked   in  the    streets 
of  Baltimore,  and  the  first  blood  shed  on  the  19th  of  April.      Communica- 
tion by  rail  and  telegraph  was  severed  between    that  city  and  Washington 
and  for  several  days  the  President  and  his  Cabinet  were  virtually  prisoners 
in  their   Capital,  but    General    Benjamin   Butler   with    Massachusetts   men 
found    a   way  there    by   water   to    Annapolis    and    the   Relay    House,  and 
relieved  the  anxiety  of  suspense.     Troops  of  hopeful  men  began  to  throng 
to  the   Capital,    but  they    were    none    too  soon,  for   an    army    was    being 
collected  in  Northern  Virginia  to  march  to  Washington  and  take  the  city. 
Harper's  Ferry  Arsenal  and    the    Norfolk    Navy  Yard  had  fallen    into   the 
hands  of  the  insi. 'gents. 

There  was  an  opinion  on  both  sides  that  the  war  would  be  brief,  and 
the  South  thought  that  she  had  only  to  march  on  to  the  Capital  of  the 
United  States,  seize,  hold  it  and  dictate  terms  of  peace  favorable  to 
herself;  while  the  North  regarded  the  Southern  uprising  as  a  formidable  riot 
that  could  be  crushed  in  ninety  days.  So  little  did  either  party  under- 
stand   the    grit    and   persistency  of    the  other.    The   truth   was   that   six 


.il 


.f 


•   ii 


■.j;  .' 


^im. 


m 


328 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


ri86i 


millions   of  people   in    the    South,  high    spirited,  possessing  a  fertile   soil, 
with    a    great    industry  upon    which    the    manufactories    of    England    were 
dependent  for  a  supply,  had  risen  against    the  government  after  months,  if 
not  years,  of  careful   preparation.     The  problem  for  the  loyal  States,  taken 
at    a    fearful     disadvantage    in    matter   of     preparation,    was    to    conquer. 
The    new   flag    of  "stars   and    bars"  was    floating    over   Alexandria  in  full 
view  of  the  Capital.     Preparations  were  being  pushed   to  fortify  Arlington 
Heights  from  which  the  Confederates  could  shell  the  city  of    Washington. 
At    Manassas    Junction  a  large    army    were    encamped    only   thirty    miles 
away.     It   woi.ld    seem    to   a    casual    observer    that    the   proper   course   to 
pursue  would  have  been  to  act  on  the  defensive,  but  the  North  were  now  fully 
aroused.     They   had    been    deceived    by  the   threats   of   disunion  so   many 
times  before  that  it  had  taken  .some  time  for  them  to  realize  the  fact  now, 
but  once  awake   to  its  stupendous    existence   they  bent   all    their   energies 
to  its   suppression.     A    blockade   of   all   the    Southern   ports   was  declared, 
and  in  a  few  weeks   ships   enough    were    manned    to    shut    every  Southern 
port   of  any   considerable   size.     The   government    had   gained    much  in   a 
short    time    but    there    was  a    general  cry  for   some   decisive    battle.     The 
Secretary  c     War,  at  this  time  more  sanguine  of   a  short    contest    than  he 
was    a    few    months    later,  yielded  to   the    popular   pressure    and    ordered 
the    imperfectly   disciplined    army   of    citizen    soldiers    to    battle.     General 
McDowell  with  an  army  variously  estimated  from  thirty  to  forty  thousand, 
marched    from    his    quarters    at    Centerville,    to    Bull    Run,    Sunday,  June 
17th,   a   distance   of    only  ten    miles.     The    volunteers,  not    yet    inured  to 
hardship,  suffered  much  on    this  march,  and  when    they  reached    the   small 
stream  which  was  to  become  famous   as  the  scene  of   a  great    battle,  they 
were   met   by  the  Confederate  army  of   General  Beauregard,  and  a  general 
engagement  took  place  in  which  the  loss  was    heavy  on   both    sides.    The 
Union  army  was   repulsed    and    fled  in  a  precipitate   route  to  Washington. 
The  men  were  hurrying   in  wild  confusion  from  the  field  of   conflict.    The 
defeat   had    become  a   general  panic,  and  baggage   trains,  artillery,  cavalry, 
infantry,  and  civilians  were  mixed  in  a  promiscuous  mass.     The  confederates 
had  won  <-he  battle,  but  showed  no   disposition  to  follow  up  the  advantage. 
In  fact   they   had   suffered   as  severely,   and   in   the    first    general   engage- 
ment   each    side    was    equally  astonished   at    the    force  displayed   on    the 
other,  and  awoke   to  the«  consciousness   of    the  fact   that    there   was   equal 
determination   and    bravery  in   both   armies.     The    North  were  taught  that 
the   work  of  putting   down   the  insurrection  was  a   more  stupendous  task 
than   had   been  imagined    but    their    purpose    was    not    shaken.     The  day 
after  the   battle   Congress  voted  to  raise  five  hundred  million  dollars  and 
five   hundred   thousand   men   to   put   down  the  Confederates.     A  few  days 
after    a    resolution   was    passed    in    both    Houses,    saying    that    it    was  a 
sacred    duty    of     the    nation    to    put    down    the    revolt,  from    which    no 
disaster  should   deter   them,  and   to   which    they   pledged    every   resource, 
national    j::id    individual.     Mr.   Lincoln  said :  "  Having  chosen  our    course 


\\i6i 

a  fertile   soil, 
ilngland    were 
;er  months,  if 
States,  taken 
;    to    conquer, 
icandria  in  full 
•tify  Arlington 
[    Washington. 
r   thirty    miles 
(per   course   to 
were  now  fully 
anion  so   many 
;e  the  fact  n.  »w, 
their   energies 
5  was  declared, 
every  Southern 
ned    much  in    a 
i^e    battle.     The 
contest   than  he 
re    and    ordered 
battle.     General 
forty  thousand, 
L    Sunday,  June 
t    yet    inured  to 
iched    the   small 
-eat    battle,  they 
d,  and  a  general 
)oth    sides.    The 
;  to  Washington, 
of   conflict.    The 
artillery,  cavalry, 
The  confederates 
p  the  advantage, 
general   engage- 
isplayed   on    the 
there   was  equal 
were  taught  that 
stupendous  task 
haken.     The  day 
iUion  dollars  and 
tes.     A  few  days 
g    that    it    was  a 
from    which    r\o 
every  resource. 
losen  our   course 


1865] 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


329 


without    guile    and    with   pure    purpose,   let  us    renew    our    trust    in   God 
and   go   forward   without   fear  and  with  manly  hearts."     The  spirit  of  the 
North   was    fully  aroused    and   no    thought   of    any  other  issue  came   to 
them.    Thousands   of  earnest  youth  and  middle  aged  men  thronged  into  the 
ranks,  fermented   with   the   same   lofty  spirit   of  patriotism.     Many  of    the 
three   months'  men    re-enlisted  for    three    years.      Regiments  and  brigades 
divisions  and   army  corps,  were  organize  1,  and  the  army  was  being  rapidly 
disciplined   and  prepared  for  the  fearful  task  imposed.     Public  credit  was 
established   and  private  patriotism  was  r.roused.     The   money  to    pay  the 
soldiers   of    a  Connecticut  Regiment  w'^s  not  ready  on  time,  and  a  private 
in  the  ranks  drew  his  check  for   one  hundred  thousand  dollars  to  advance 
the   pay  of  his   comrades.     This  man  was  Elias  Howe,  Jr.,  of    Bridgeport, 
the   inventor  of  the  sewing  machine.     He  had   a  physical  lameness  which 
would  have  exempted  him  from   military  service,  and  when   a  commission 
was  offered   to  him   refused  it  on  the  ground   of  his  inability  to  perform 
the  duties,   but    he    enlisted  as  a  private   to   encourage   other    men,  who 
could   perform   good   service,  to   do   the   same.     After  the  disaster  at  Bull 
Run,   General    George   B.    McClellan    was    placed    in    command.     He   was 
a  skillful   engineer  and   organizer   and   set    about   the    task  of    organizing 
this   incongruous   mass  of    patriotic   volunteers   into  a  well   arranged   and 
thoroughly  disciplined  army.    His  friends  knew  that  he  was  the  man  to  mould 
the  army   and  make  it  what  it  should  be,  an  obedient,  disciplined  and  well 
officered    instrument    of    the   government.     In   October,  1861,  he    was   the 
commander   of  two   hundred   thousand  fighting-men,  the  largest   army  the 
United  States  had  ever  known.     The  men  loved  Iiim  with  an  enthusiasm 
that  had   been   unequalled  since  the  days  of  Napoleon  Bonaparte  and  the 
army  delighted    to   call  him   "  The    young   Napoleon   of    the  West. " 

After  the  secession  of  Virginia  the  Confederate  government  removed 
its  seat  from  Montgomery,  Alabama,  to  Richmond,  and  now  the  capitals 
of  the  two  contending  forces  were  within  a  few  hours  travel  of  each  other. 
The  most  severe  fighting  of  the  entire  war  was  occasioned  by  each 
endeavoring  to  capture  the  capital  of  the  other,  and  the  brave  obstinacy 
displayed   in  the  defence  of  each. 

General  Robert  E.  Lee  was  in  chief  command  of  the  Confederate  army. 
He  had  been  educated  at  the  United  States  Military  Academy  at  West 
Point,  and  was  an  officer  in  the  United  States  Army  when  his  native  State, 
V'rginia,  joined  her  fortunes  with  the  Confederacy,  and  following  his  sense  of 
duty  and  honor,  he  allied  his  fortunes  with  those  of  his  native  State.  He 
was  a  brave,  conscientious  and  skillful  general,  and  a  calm,  thoughtful, 
unpretending  man.  He  contended  almost  always  with  a  force  superior  in 
number  and  armament, — such  was  the  fortunes  of  war — but  he  made  up  more 
than  the  deficiency  by  his  genius  and  skill.  By  his  consummate  ability  and 
devotion  to  the  cause,  the  war  was  maintained  after  the  hope  of  success  was 
gone,  and  when  at  length  the  overpowering  resources,  and  numbers  of  the 
North  compelled  his  surrender,  he  was  esteemed  even  by  his  enemies,  who 


(    \,H 


.  '1 


Mm  k  a 


■-■'mi. 


330 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


[5867 


were  proud  of  this  noble  but  erring  son,  who  had  been  educated  by  the 
nation  against  which  he  had  with  mistaken  judgment  drawn  his  valiant 
sword. 

Thomas  Jackson,  who  earned  the  epithet  of  "  Stonewall "  Jackson,  was 
the  most  celebrated  of  Lee's  generals.  He  was  an  earnest  religious  man  of 
stern  uncompromising  integrity,  which  won  the  admiration  of  friend  and  foe 
alike ;  but  he  had  gone  into  the  war  from  a  high  sense  of  duty,  and  shows  how 
a  noble  man  can  be  sadly  mistaken  in  judgment.  He  was  scrup'jlously  exact 
in  his  own  private  life,  led  a  class  in  Sunday  School,  taught  his  negroes,  and 
delivered  lectures  on  the  authenticity  of  the  Scriptures.  He  firmly  believed 
in  the  justness  of  slavery,  and  ordered  his  slaves  to  be  flogged  when  he 
thought  the  circumstances  required  it.  He  proposed  at  the  commencement 
of  the  war,  "  that  no  prisoners  be  taken,"  and  when  this  inhuman  opinion  did 
not  gain  the  sanction  of  the  chief  generals,  he  never  ceased  to  his  death  to 
regret  that  this  policy  was  not  carried  out.  He  was  a  brave,  expert  and 
successful  general,  and  died  regretted  by  honest  men  in  both  armies. 

In  January,  1862,  President  Lincoln  ordered  General  McClellan  to 
advance  with  his  finely  equipped  army  upon  the  enemy,  and  by  the  end  of 
March  was  ready  to  move. 

At  the  opening  of  the  new  year  we  will  glance  back  over  the  history  of 
the  year  1861.  Fort  Sumter  had  been  evacuated  by  Major  Anderson,  April 
14th.  President  Lincoln  had  issued  his  call  for  troops  on  the  15th.  The  sixth 
Massachusetts  had  been  mobbed  in  the  streets  of  Baltimore,  on  the  19th. 
The  offensive  operations  were  begun  by  the  United  States  Army  on  the  18th 
of  May.  The  engagements  of  Big  Bethel,  Philippi,  Fairfax  Court  House, 
Paterson  Creek,  Mather's  Point,  York  Bridge,  Laurel  Hill,  Rich  Mountain, 
Beverly,  Carrichford,  Bunker  Hill,  Barboursville,  and  First  Bull  Run,  all  in 
Virginia,  had  been  fought  before  the  disaster  at  Bull  Run,  of  which  we  have 
written.  They  were,  for  the  most  part  but  preliminary  skirmishes,  and  in  no 
sense  decisive.  The  insurrection  in  Maryland  had  been  strangled  at  its  birth, 
and  that  State  saved  to  the  Union.  In  Missouri,  three  engagements  of 
considerable  importance  had  been  fought  at  Boonsville,  Carthage,  and  Briar 
Forks.  The  Confederate  privateer  Petrel  was  sunk  by  the  St.  Lawrence, 
August  1st.  A  battle  was  fought  between  General  Lyon,  of  the  Union 
army,  and  General  McCulloch,  of  the  Confederate  army,  at  Dug  Spring, 
Missouri,  August  2d.  Fort  Fillmore  was  treacherously  given  up  by  Major 
Lynde,  with  seven  hundred  and  fifty  men,  the  same  day  in  New  Mexico. 
Lovettsville,  Grafton,  Boone  Court  House,  Carnifax,  Lucas  Bend,  Lewinsville, 
Elk  Water,  Cheat  Mountain,  Darnstown,  Romney  Fall  Church,  Chapmansville, 
Greenbriar,  Bolivar,  Balls  Bluff,  Vienna  and  Drainsville,  all  in  Virginia,  were 
places  where  more  or  less  blood  was  shed  during  the  opening  year  of  the  war. 
In  the  State  of  Missouri,  whose  governor  was  determined  to  take  her  out  of 
the  Union,  a  severe  contest  ensued,  which  resulted  in  driving  the 
Confederates  from  her  borders,  and  preserving  her  to  the  United  States. 
Potosi,  Wilson  Creek,  Charlestown,  Lexington,  Blue  Mill  Landing,  Papinsville, 


i! 


ited  by  the 
his    valiant 

ackson,  was 
ious  man  of 
end  and  foe 
d  shows  how 
ilously  exact 
legroes,   and 
mly  believed 
jed  when  he 
mmencement 
I  opinion  did 
his  death  to 
e,  expert  and 
lies. 

McClellan  to 
jy  the  end  of 

the  history  of 
iderson,  April 
;th.   The  sixth 
[,  on  the  19th. 
ly  on  the  18th 
Court  House, 
ich  Mountain, 
1  Run,  all  in 
hich  we  have 
les,  and  in  no 
d  at  its  birth, 
Tagements  of 
age,  and  Briar 
St.  Lawrence, 
of   the  Union 
Dug  Spring, 
up  by  Major 
New  Mexico, 
id,  Lewinsville, 
Chapmansville, 
Virginia,  were 
ear  of  the  war. 
ike  her  out  of 
driving    the 
United  States, 
ng,  Papinsville, 


V 


1865] 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


331 


Fredericktown,  Springfield,  Belmont,  Mount  Sion,  were  the  names  of  places 
where  engagements  were  fought  in  that  State. 

In  Kentucky  the  Confederates  gained  a  slight  foothold  in  the  southern 
and  western  part,  and  under  the  show  of  military  power  they  held  a 
convention,  and  passed  an  ordinance  of  secession  and  delegates  were  chosen 
to  the  Confederate  Congress.  A  skirmish  was  fought  at  Buffalo  Hill,  and 
another  at  Hemington  in  that  State,  in  October,  and  battles  at  Wildcat, 
Cromwell,  Saratoga,  Piketown,  during  October  and  the  early  part  of 
November.  On  the  7th  of  November,  the  Union  forces  captured  and  held 
the  forts  on  Hilton's  Head,  South  Carolina. 

In  the  fall  of  1861,  there  occurred  an  event  which  for  a  time  threatened  to 

cause  a  rupture  with  Great  Britain.     The  Confederate  government  had  sent 

two  commissioners  with  credentials  as  ambassadors  to  the  English  and  French 

courts,  which  had  already  acceded  belligerent  rights  to  "  The   Confederate 

States  of  America."     These  gentlemen,  each  with  his  secretary,  had  succeeded 

in  running  the  blockade   on   the  stormy  night  of  October   12th,  1861,  and 

proceeded  to  Cuba.     Here  they  took  passage  on  the  British  steamer  Trent  for 

St.  Thomas,  intending  to  take  the  regular  packet  steamer  from  that  port,  but 

the  United  States  vessel,  San  Jacinto,  Captain  Charles  Wilkes,  took  them 

from  the  Trent  and  carried  them  to  Boston,  where  they  were  incarcerated  in 

Fort  Wrrren,  then  used  as  a  military  prison.     This  act  was  in  the  strictest 

accord  tvith  the  British  interpretation  and  practice  of  the  question  for  which 

the  Will- of  1812  was  fought,  and  which  was  left  undecided  in  the  treaty  of 

peace  at  the  close  of  that  war.     But  it  was  in  direct  opposition  to  the  avowed 

theory  and  policy  of  the  American  government.     England  now  claimed,  as 

the  Americans  claimed  in  181 2,  that  this  was  a  violation  of  the  rights  of 

neutral  powers,  and  after  fifty  years,  in  which  she  had  strenuously  maintained 

the  right  to  do  the  very  thing  which  the  United  States  had  now  done,  that 

proud  nation  acknowledged  that  the  principle  was  wrong.    A  demand  was 

made  for  the  return  of  the  ambassadors,  James  M.  Mason  and  John  Slidell, 

The  American  government  were  too  glad  to  vindicate  their  policy,  and  to  rid 

themselves  of  the  burden,  by  giving  up  the  men  on  January  ist,  1862.     The 

ambassadors  did  not  gain  the  advantage  they  sought,  and  the  event  silence  1 

forever  the  arrogant  claim  of  England  to  search  the  ships  of  neutrals. 


'ilri 


•)..■■ 


I 


i^^- :: 


'  ; 

H,; 

.} 

:;■, 

V  **"■ 

;  j' 

■m 

!' 

■  1    ". 

■ft      , 

i 

i.'  ' 

'  ■'■. 

332 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


[1861 


THE  OPERATIONS  OF  1862. 

'HE  year  1862  opened  with  a  design  on  foot  to  establish 
the  national  power  on  the  Atlantic  coast  of  the  Southern 
States.  A  secret  expedition  under  Command  of  Major. 
General  A.  E.  Burnside,  sailed  from  Hampton  Roads 
January  nth.  The  result  was  that  Roanoke  Island 
and  the  coast  of  Albemarle  Sound  fell  into  the  hands 
of  the  Union  forces.  The  Confederate  force  fled  from 
Port    Royal,  South  Carolina,  January  2d. 

In  Kentucky  there  had  been  a  fight  near  Prestonburg, 
in  which  General  J.  A.  Garfield,  defeated  the  disunion  General 
Humphrey  Murphy,  January  loth.  General  Thomas  had  defeated 
General  ZolHcoffer  in  a  battle  at  Mill  Spring,  Kentucky,  where 
the  latter  was  killed.  Kentucky  was  saved  and  a  path  of 
escape  made  for  the  Union  men  in  East  Tennessee  by  these 
two  decisive  victories.  The  disunion  army  fled  into  Tennessee. 
A  flotilla  of  gun  boats  had  been  built  and  equipped  under  General 
John  C.  Fremont,  of  California  fame,  at  Cairo  on  the  Mississippi. 
Commodore  A.  H.  Foote,  had  been  put  in  command.  An  expedition  against 
Forts  Henry  and  Donaldson  had  been  organized,  and  General  U.  S.  Grant 
had  been  put  in  chief  command.  Commodore  Foote  was  ordered  to  the 
Tennessee  River  with  his  gun  boats.  February  3d,  he  was  in  front  of  Fort 
Henry,  and  on  the  6th,  the  fort  surrendered.  General  Grant  made  immediate 
preparation  to  attack  Fort  Donaldson,  while  Commodore  Foote  hurried  back 
to  Cairo  to  obtain  mortar  guns  for  the  siege.  The  battle  began  on  the 
13th,  was  renewed  on  the  two  following  days  and  the  fort  surrendered 
on  the  i6th  with  thirteen  thousand  three  hundred  prisoners  of  war. 
The  Confederate  Generals,  Floyd  and  Pillow,  fled  the  night  before  and 
left  General  Buchner,  who  was  the  only  brave  man  of  the  three  to 
surrender  the  fort.  This  was  the  first  brilliant  victory  for  General  Grant 
during  the  war.  The  fall  of  Fort  Donaldson  was  a  heavy  blow  to  the 
Confederates,  but  the  news  caused  the  most  wide-spread  rejoicing  all 
through  the  loyal  States.  It  was  regarded  as  a  crushing  blow  to  the 
Southern  cause,  and  lost  to  them  the  States  of  Missouri,  Kentucky  and 
all   northern  and  middle   Tennessee. 

The  campaign  in  Arkansas  resulted  after  a  few  skirmishes  in  the 
decisive  victory  for  the  Union  forces  under  General  Sigel  at  Pea  Ridge, 
on  the  7th  of  February  1862,  in  which  the  five  disunion  generals,  Van 
Dorn,  McCulloch,  Mcintosh,  Pike  and  Price  were  engaged.  McCulloch  and 
Mcintosh  were  mortally  wounded  and  Van  Dorn  retired  behind  the 
mountains.  The  Confederate  army  lost  thirty-four  hundred  men  in  killed 
and  wounded,   and  sixteen  hundred  prisoners. 

While   these   important  victories  were    going   on   in  the  West    there 


1865] 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


333 


were  events  of  interest  occurring  in  Virginia.  The  Confederates  had 
taken  an  old  frigate  which  they  sheathed  in  iron  and  roofed  her  with 
iron  rails  and  fitted  her  up  as  a  formidable  iron  clad.  There  was  no 
ship  in  the  United  States  Navy  which  could  withstand  her  attack.  On  the 
8th  of  March  she  steamed  down  to  assault  the  fleet  in  Hampton  Roads. 
This  mon  Ucr,  which  had  been  re-christcncd  the  Mcrrimac,  came  into 
the  vc.y  midst  of  the  fleet.  Not  a  man  was  seen  on  board,  not  a  gun 
was  fired,  and  the  broadsides  poured  in  upon  her  rolled  off  her  iron 
sides  and  left  her  unharmed.  She  destroyed  the  Congress  and  Cumberland, 
and  no  power  could  withstand  her  assault.  The  Union  fleet  was  apparently 
doomed,  and  this  monster  could  devastate  the  whole  Northern  coast. 
There  were  anxious  hearts  that  day  through  all  the  North  as  the  news 
of  this  encounter  flew  on  the  wires  over  the  country.  The  Confederates 
had  the  advantage  of  them  now,  and  could  rest  on  their  laurels  for 
one  night  at  least.  The  next  day  she  came  down  the  James  to 
complete  her  work  of  destruction  so  well  begun  the  day  before.  But 
at  midnight  a  mysterious  something  came  in  from  the  sea,  lighted  on 
her  way  by  the  burning  Congress.  The  thing  looked  like  a  cheese  box 
on  a  raft ;  and  there  had  been  nothing  like  it  in  the  whole  history  of 
naval  warfare.  It  was  the  Monitor  on  her  trial  trip  from  New  York. 
That  day  was  the  trial  of  strength  between  the  inventive  genius  of  the 
two  sections.  The  Yankee  cheese  box  won  the  prize.  In  the  novel  naval 
engagement  she  was  the  victor  and  the  monster  crawled  back  to  her 
moorings  disabled  and  useless.  The  United  States  Navy  had  found  a 
champion  that  could  defend  her  from  the  monster  that  but  yesterday 
threatened   her  annihilation. 

The  army  of  the  Potomac  was  transferred  to  Fortress  Monroe,  and 
prepared  to  sail  up  the  James  river.  General  Banks  was  sent  up  the 
Shenandoah  to  attract  the  attention  of  General  Stonewall  Jackson.  The 
battle  of  Winchester  was  fought  on  the  23d  of  March  and  resulted  in  a 
victory   for  the   Union   arms. 

The  month  of  May  found  General  Fremont  in  the  mountains  of 
West  Virginia;  General  Ranks  at  Strasburg  in  the  Shenandoah  valley; 
and  General  McDowell  at  Fredericksburg  on  the  Rappahannock,  for  the  two 
fold  purpose  of  defending  Washington  and  helping  McClellan.  The  swift 
moving  General  Ewell  had  joined  Jackson,  and  on  May  8th  struck  Fremont 
a  heavy  blow,  and  May  23d  sent  Banks  flying  down  the  valley  to  Winchester. 
Then  the  tide  turned  and  Ewell  was  driven  back,  pursued  by  Fremont 
and  Shields.  Jackson  rallied  his  forces,  joined  Ewell,  and  on  the  9th  of 
June  the  national  armies  began  their  second  great  race  down  the  Shenandoah, 
followed  by   the   Confederates. 

The  two  main  armies  were  face  to  face  with  each  other  on  the  first  of 
June,  within  six  miles  of  the  Confederate  Capital.  The  army  of  the  Union 
were  anxious  to  enter  the  city  of  Richmond  at  once,  and  the  time  hac* 
come  for  a  decisive  blow.     The  leader  was  wanting,  McClellan's  habitual 


\. 


m  >  i 


■Hn 


3J4 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


[1861 


caution  and  desire  to  save  human  life  led  him  to  be  over  anxious 
for  the  safety  of  the  army,  every  man  of  which  loved  him.  They  were 
burning  to  win  glory  and  honor,  and  were  in  good  condition  to  march 
directly  into  the  city.  Lincoln  urged  him  daily  to  make  the  attack,  but 
still  he  hesitated.  The  Confederates  came  out  to  attack  him,  and  the 
general  made  preparation  to  retreat  to  the  shelter  of  the  gun  boats  on 
the  James  river.  He  would  save  his  army  or  "  at  least  die  with  it  and 
share  its  fate."  The  army  of  patriots  were  anxious  to  fight  on  the  offensive 
and  could  decide  the  question  of  its  own  fate  but  the  general,  over- 
solicitous,  moved  away  from  the  enemy,  and  his  retreating  army  was  dailj' 
attcked  by  the  Confederates,  and  as  often  gained  the  victory ;  but  still  they 
fell  back  for  seven  days.  Once  they  drove  the  enemy  fleeing  before  them 
and  the  soldiers  demanded  to  be  led  into  Richmond.  The  army  was 
strong  enough  but  its  leader  was  weak.  McClellan  was  loyal  and  desired 
the  success  of  the  North,  nor  would  we  for  an  instant  hint  at  any  improper 
motives.  McClellan  was  such  a  man  as  aroused  the  enthusiasm  of  the 
rank  and  file,  and  at  the  same  time  hesitated  to  lead  them  to  death. 
He  lost  fifteen  thousand  men  in  seven  days  fight'  from  Gains'  Mills,  June 
28th,  to  July  3d,  1862.  The  army  of  Generel  Lee  had  sustained  a  loss 
even  larger,  and  when  McClellan  was  fortifying  his  camp  on  the  James, 
Lee  was  glad  to  rest  his  shattered  and  discomfited  troops  behind  the 
fortifications  of  Richmond.  The  retreat  was  a  masterly  and  skillful  one, 
and  showed  magnificent  generalship  no  doubt,  but  neither  the  army  nor 
the  country  were  in  a  hi  mor  to  appreciate  the  greatness  of  a  General 
whose  skill  consisted  in  conducting  a  successful  flight.  The  prize  had  been 
within  the  grasp  of  a  hand  powerful  enough  to  seize  it,  but  the  brain 
that  directed  that  power  was  conservative  and  cautious,  and  therefore  the 
city  of  Richmond  was  to  be  a  bone  of  contention  between  the  magnifi- 
cent army  of  the  Potomac  and  the  brave  army  of  Virginia  for  long  years 
to  come.  The  Confederates  were  exultant  and  the  North  sadly  disappointed 
with   the   results  of   the   campaign   of  the   Spring  of    1862. 

We  will  turn  in  this  swiftly  changing  panorama  to  the  West.  The 
silent,  determined  and  persistent  General  U.  S.  Grant,  was  doing  valiant 
service  for  the  Union  army,  and  rising  in  rank  and  influence.  After  the  fall  of 
Fort  Donaldson,  Johnston  saw  that  he  could  only  save  the  Confederate  army 
by  evacuating  Bowling  Green,  and  Columbus,  Kentucky ;  he  then  marched 
his  forces  to  Nashville,  Tennessee,  closely  followed  by  General  Buell,  and  at 
the  same  time  the  national  gunboats  moved  up  the  Tennessee  River  from  Fort 
Donaldson.  Nashville,  Tennessee,  was  surrendered  to  the  Union  forces 
February  26th,  and  on  March  4th,  Andrew  Johnson  was  appointed  Military 
Governor,  with  the  rank  of  Brigadier-General.  Columbus  was  taken  bj- 
Commodore  Foote  and  General  W.  T.  Sherman,  March  4th,  1862.  Island 
Number  Ten,  a  thousand  miles  from  New  Orleans,  was  now  regarded  as  the 
key  to  the  Mississippi  River,  and  was  strongly  fortified  by  the  Confederates. 
This  was  flanked  by  General  Pope,  and  Commodore  Foote  hammered  away  at 


tver  anxious 
,  They  were 
Dn  to  march 
e  attack,  but 
him,  and  the 
run  boats  on 
:  with  it  and 

the  offensive 

general,  over- 
my  was  daily 

but  still  they 
g  before  them 
'he  army  was 
al   and  desired 

any  improper 
usiasm  of  the 
liem  to  death, 
lins' Mills,  June 
sustained  a  loss 

on  the  James, 
ps  behind  the 
and  skillful  one, 
T  the  army  nor 
,s   of  a  General 

prize  had  been 

but   the  brain 

id  therefore  the 

en  the  magnifi- 
for  long  years 

lly  disappointed 


t865] 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


335 


the  defenses  from  his  gun-boats  until  it  surrendered,  April  7th.     This  was 
another  heavy  blow  to  the  Confederates,  and  they  never  recovered  from  it. 
General  Grant  had  sent  the  gun-boats  up  the  winding  Tennessee  River,  from 
Fort  Henry,  and   they  penetrated  the  country  as  far  as  Florence,  Alabama, 
under  Lieutenant  Commander  Phelps,   United  States  Navy,  who  found  an 
intense  loyal  feeling  among  the  people.    The  army  were  anxious  to  advance 
to  their  aid,  and  General  Grant  attempted  to  do  this.    The  objective  point 
was  Corinth,  a   city  on  the  Memphis  and  Charleston  Railroad.     The  large 
Union  army  was  encamped  at  Shiloh,  or  Pittsburg  Landing,  about  twenty 
miles  from  Corinth,  on  the  first  of  April.     General  Buell  was  trying  to  join 
Grant  with  his  forces  from  Nashville,  leaving  General  Neyley  in  command  in 
that  city.     Huntsville   was  captured  April  nth,  by  a  part  of   Buell's  army 
under  General  Mitchell.     The  battle  of  Shiloh  had  been  fought  and  won  by 
Grant,  on  the  7th.     The  Southern  army  had  advanced  from  Corinth  to  within 
four  miles  of    the  Union  army  unperceivcd  on  the  morning  of   the  sixth, 
Sunday,  and  fell  upon  Generals  Sherman,  and  Prentice, — the  battle  waged  all 
day,  and  the  Union  army  at  night  was  driven  discomfited   to   the   shelter   of 
their  gun-boats,  on   the   Tennessee.       Beauregard   telegraphed    a    shout   of 
victory  to  his  chief  at  Richmond,  but  Buell  and  Lew  Wallace  arrived   in  the 
night,  crossed  the  river,  and  Grant's  army  was  saved.     The  next  day  the 
fight   was  renewed.     Wallace  charged    m  the  Confederate  left,  and  pressed 
Beauregard  back.     The  battle   became   general,  and   the   Southerners  were 
driven  from  the  ground  that  they  had  taken  the  day  before.     Then  they  fled 
in  precipitate  rout,  covered  by  a  strong  rear  guard.     The  South  lost  ten 
thousand  men,  the  North  fifteen  thousand,  and  that  night  the  Union  army 
buried  the  dead  on  the  battle  field,  while  the  enemy  fled  to  Corinth.     General 
Halleck  came  from  St.  Louis,  April  12th,  and  assumed  command,  but  instead 
of  marching  directly  upon  Corinth,  he  moved  by  slow  approaches  with  spade 
and  pick,  fortifying  as  he  advanced.     On  the  morning  of  May  30th,  when  he 
sent  out  skirmishers  "  to  feel  the  enemy's  position,"  there  were  no  enemies, 
for  Corinth  had  been  evacuated,  and  the  city  burned. 

At  the  mouth  of  the  Great  River  the  Union  Squadron,  with  General 
Butler,  had  captured  Forts  Jackson  and  Philip,  and  entered  the  Mississippi. 
New  Orleans  had  been  occupied  by  General  Butler,  who  declared  military  law 
April  29th.  Commodore  Foote  with  his  flotilla,  besieged  Fort  Pillow,  May 
10th,  and  on  the  4th  of  June  the  forces  fled  to  Memphis,  where  Commodore 
Davis,  who  had  succeeded  Commodore  Foote,  had  a  severe  engagement  on 
June  6th,  but  soon  after  the  flag  of  the  United  States  waved  over  the  city  of 
Memphis.  All  this  was  going  on  in  the  west  while  the  army  of  the  Potomac 
was  moving  so  cautiously  under  General  McClellan. 

The  expedition  to  North  Carolina  was  accom;;^Ushing  much  in  gaining 
that  State  back  to  national  control.  The  battle  of  Newberne  was  fought 
on  March  8th,  and  a  fight  occurred  upon  the  nth  of  April,  near  Elizabeth 
City.  The  Northern  troops  had  taken  the  coast,  and  were  moving  into  the 
interior.     The   national   forces   captured   l-'ort    Mason,    at   the   entrance   of 


i' 


I!     f 


m 


336 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


[1861 


Beaufort  Harbor,  April  25,  and  now  held  undisputed  sway  from  the  Dismal 
Swamp  to  Cape  Fear  River. 

While  General  Burnside  was  engaged  in  this  work  in  North  Carolina, 
General  Sherman  and  Commodore  Dupont  went  upon  a  similar  expedition  to 
the  coast  of  South  Carolina  and  Georgia.  Fort  Pulaski  was  taken  after  a 
severe  pounding,  April  12,  and  this  commanded  the  entrance  to  the  Savannah 
River.  The  coast  of  Florida  was  easily  seized  in  the  early  winter.  Fort 
Clinch,  the  first  of  the  national  forts  re-occupied  since  their  seizure,  was  taken 
in  February,  Jacksonville,  Florida,  March  nth,  St.  Augustine  and  Pensacola, 
opposite  Fort  Pickens,  which  never  had  been  in  possession  of  the  South,  were 
captured  in  March.  Thus  in  less  than  a  year  from  the  fall  of  Sumter,  the 
United  States  was  in  possession  of  the  Atlantic  and  Gulf  Coast,  with  the 
exception  of  Charleston  harbor,  as  far  as  Pensacola  bay. 

The  scene  will  change  again  to  the  army  of  the  Potomac.  General 
McClellan  had  disappointed  the  country,  and  when  the  news  of  the  disasters 
to  the  Union  forces,  in  front  of  Richmond,  swept  over  the  North,  the  hearts 
of  the  people  sank  within  them.  The  commander  assured  the  government, 
three  days  after  the  battle  of  Malvern  Hill,  that  he  did  not  have  "  over  fifty 
thousand  men  with  their  colors."  What  had  become  of  the  one  hundred  and 
sixty  thousand  men  who  had  been  sent  to  him  within  the  one  hundred  days 
previous  ?  Lincoln  with  an  anxious  heart  hastened  to  the  head-quarters  of 
McClellan,  to  solve  this  question  and  answer  his  request  for  more  troops. 
The  result  of  this  conference  was  that  Lincoln  found  forty  thousand  men 
more  than  the  general  had  reported,  and  yet  there  were  seventy-five  thousand 
men  missing.  Orders  were  given  to  remove  this  army  from  the  Peninsula, 
and  concentrate  it  before  Washington,  but  McClellan  was  opposed  to  this 
plan,  and  he  was  slow  to  obey. 

In  the  month  of  August,  1862,  the  national  Capitol  was  in  great  danger. 
The  battle  of  Cedar  Mountain  had  been  fought  on  the  9th  of  that  month. 
In  this  fight  the  national  troops  were  under  command  of  General  Banks. 
They  were  driven  back,  but  by  the  timely  reinforcement  of  General  Rickett's 
division,  were  able  to  check  the  Confederate  advance  in  one  of  the  most 
desperate  encounters  of  the  war.  Both  sides  claimed  the  victory.  General 
Pope  was  reinforced  by  Burnside's  army,  and  moved  to  the  Rapidan, 
intending  to  hold  that  position  until  the  arrival  of  McClellan,  but  was  driven 
back  by  Lee.  The  Confederate  general  found  that  he  could  not  force  a 
passage  in  this  direction,  and  he  moved  toward  the  mountains  to  outflank 
Pope.  This  general  did  his  best  to  thwart  the  plan  of  Lee,  but  his  army  was 
much  weakened,  and  McClellan  protesting  against  moving  from  the  James 
delayed  reinforcements  from  that  quarter.  Pope,  therefore,  concentrated  his 
forces  at  Rappahannock  Station,  August  23d,  1862,  that  he  might  be  able  to 
fall  with  a  superior  force,  upon  the  flanking  army  under  "  Stonewall "  Jackson. 
This  adroit  and  skillful  general,  with  accustomed  swiftness,  crossed  the  Bull 
Run  Mountain  at  Thoroughfare  Gap,  and  placed  his  immense  force  between 
Pope  and  Washington.     His  cavalry  swept  as  far  as  Fairfax  Court   House 


[i86i 
m  the  Dismal 

lorth  Carolina, 

expedition  to 

taken  after  a 

I  the  Savannah 

T  winter.     Fort 

jure,  was  taken 

and  Pensacola, 

Lhe  South,  were 

of  Sumter,  the 

Coast,  with  the 

omac.     General 
of  the  disasters 
orth,  the  hearts 
;he  government, 
have  "  over  fifty 
)ne  hundred  and 
le  hundred  days 
head-quarters  of 
or  more  troops. 
y  thousand  men 
ity-five  thousand 
n  the  Peninsula, 
opposed  to  this 

in  great  danger. 
1  of  that  month. 

General  Banks. 

eneral  Rickett's 
one  of  the  most 
victory.  General 
to  the  Rapidan, 
1,  but  was  driven 
ould  not  force  a 
tains  to  outflank 
but  his  army  was 

from  the  James 

concentrated  his 
might  be  able  to 
jnewall"  Jackson. 

crossed  the  Bull 
ise  force  between 

•fax  Court  House 


1865] 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


337 


and  Centerville,  and  his  main  army  were  at  Manassas,  waiting  for  a  heavy 
column  under  Longstreet,  who  was  advancing.  The  two  armies  were  both  of 
them  in  danger  of  annihilation.  Pope  moved  with  quickness  to  attack  and 
capture  Jackson,  before  Longstreet  could  come  up.  But  the  latter  succeeded 
in  joining  Jackson,  and  Pope,  who  was  now  assured  that  he  need  no  longer 
wait  for  reinforcements  from  McClellan,  saw  that  he  must  fight.  The  second 
battle  at  Bull  Run,  was  fought  with  great  loss  and  defeat  to  the  Union  army, 
August  30th.  Pope  fell  back  to  Centerville,  where  he  was  joined  by 
Franklin,  and  Sumner.  Lee  did  not  now  attack  them,  but  made  another 
flank  movement  August  31st.  This  resulted  in  a  battle  September  ist,  at 
Chantilly,  where  Generals  Philip  Kearney  and  Stevens  were  killed,  and  the 
whole  army  driven  within  the  fortifications  of  Washington. 

The  Confederates  now  had  the  advantage  and  determined  to  follow  it  up. 
The  time   had   come   when   they  could   make  a  formidable   advance   upon 
Washington,  and  carry  the  war  into  the  land  of  the  enemy.     September  7th, 
Lee  crossed   the   Potomac  with   almost   his  entire   force,  and  marched  into 
Maryland  with  the  belief  that  thousands  of  people  in  that  State  would  join 
his  army  and  fight,   to  redeem  her  from  the  Northern  army.     In  this  he  was 
sadly  disappointed.     McClellan  with  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  numbering 
90,000  came  to  the  rescue,  and  the  army  of  Virginia  was  merged  into  it. 
McClellan  moved  cautiously ;  but  in  the  meantime  Burnside  had  fought  and 
won  the  battle  of  South  Mountain,  in  which  the  gallant  General  Reno  was 
killed.     Harper's  Ferry  was  captured  by  Lee's  army,  where  Colonel  D.  H. 
Miles,   a  Virginian,   surrendered   nearly    \2Q0   United  States  troops.      The 
crisis  was  coming  and  the  issue  must  be  met  at  Antietam.     The  Confederates 
had  possession  of  the  right  bank  of  the  stream,  and  the  Union  army  the  left. 
The  contest  opened  with  artillery  firing  from  the  former.     McClellan  was  not 
ready  to    move    until   noon.      Hooker    crossed   the   Antietam   and   had   a 
successful  fight  on  the  Confederate  left,  and  rested  on  his  arms  that  night  to 
renew  the  fight  in  the  morning.     The  fight  opened  early  the  next  day,  by 
Hooper  charging  on  Lee's  left  again  ;  Burnside  on  the  right,  was  doing  good 
execution  against  Longstreet.     The  contest  waged  all  day,  and  at  night  the 
Confederate  army  retreated  from  the  scene.     Fourteen  thousand  fresh  troops 
came  to  the  aid  of  McClellan,  and  it  would  seem  as  if  he  might  have  followed 
up  his  advantage,  and  taken  the  Confederates ;  but  when  he  was  ready  to 
move,  thirty-six  hours  later,  Lee's  shattered  and  broken  army  were  behind 
their  own  defenses  on   the  south  side  of  the  Potomac,  whither  they   had 
hastened   in   the  cover  of  darkness,  the   night   before.     McClellan   came   to 
Harper's  Ferry,  which  he  found  abandoned  by  the  Confederates,  and  ten  days 
after  the  battle  of  Antietam,  while  the  North  were  hourly  expecting  to  hear 
that  his  victorious  army  had  pursued  and  overcome  Lee,  he  coolly  declared  his 
intention  to  remain  where  he  was,  and  "  attack  the  enemy  should  he  attempt 
to  re-cross  into   Maryland."      October  ist.  President  Lincoln,  instructed  the 
Commander  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  to  move  at  once  across  the  river , 
but  twenty  days  were  spent  in  correspondence,  during  which  the  beautiful 


r'l 


' '  i« 


,( ■  I  • 


II 


338 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


[1861 


im^ 


October  weather,  which  was  favorable  for  military  movements  had  passed, 
and  Lee's  army  was  resting,  recruiting  and  fortifying.  Then,  November  2d, 
McCleilan  announced  that  his  whole  army  were  in  Virginia,  prepared  to  move 
southward,  on  the  east  side  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  while  Lee  was  on  the  west 
side.  The  patience  of  the  government  and  the  loyal  people  of  the  North 
was  exhausted,  and  McCleilan  was  relieved  November  5th,  and  General  A.  E. 
Burnside  was  placed  in  command.  This  ended  the  military  career  of  Major 
General  George  B.  McCleilan,  the  beloved  commander  of  the  army  of  the 
Potomac,  who  was  over-cautious  and  careful  of  the  lives  of  his  men. 

General  Burnside  reorganized  the  army  and  formed  a  plan  to  capture 
Richmond.  For  this  purpose  he  made  his  base  of  supplies  at  Acquina 
Creek,  and  took  position  at  Fredericksburg,  from  which  he  intended  to 
advance.  But  before  he  was  prepared  to  cross  the  Rappahannock,  Lee 
appeared  with  an  army  80,000  stron^^,  on  the  heights  in  the  rear  of  the  city, 
and  destroyed  all  the  bridges  on  the  river.  Burnside  was  obliged  to  cross 
upon  pontoon  bridges.  The  Union  army  advanced  under  a  heavy  fire,  and 
a  bloody  battle  ensued,  which  lasted  from  the  13th,  to  the  i6th  of  December, 
and  the  Unionists  were  defeated  with  great  slaughter.  Lee  took  possession 
of  the  city,  and  the  Nation,'  forces  retired  under  cover  of  darkness. 
Burnside  was  superseded  by  General  Joseph  Hooker  January  26th,  1863, 
when  the  army  were  in  winter-quarters.  We  must  here  leave  them,  while  we 
turn  our  attention  to  the  stirring  events  on  the  Mississippi.  We  had  left 
the  Northern  army  June  ist,  1862,  in  possession  of  the  river,  from  its 
mouth  to  New  Orleans,  and  from  its  sources  to  Memphis,  Tennessee. 
Colonel  John  H.  Morgan,  of  Tennessee,  had  organized  an  independent  band 
for  guerilla  warfare,  and  was  overrunning  his  native  State  with  his  horsemen, 
and  making  long  and  swift  raids  through  the  country  in  all  directions 
preparatory  to  an  invasion  of  Tennessee  and  Kentucky  by  a  Confederate 
force.  By  these  raids  much  damage  was  done  to  private  and  public 
property,  and  many  exactions  were  wrung  from  the  people.  General  E. 
Kirby  Smith,  with  a  large  Confederate  force,  entered  Kentucky  from  East 
Tennessee,  and  prepared  to  march  upon  Frankfort,  the  capital.  A  desperate 
battle  was  fought  August  30th  at  Richmond,  Kentucky,  in  which  the  Union 
army  under  General  Manson  was  defeated.  The  affrighted  Legislature  in 
session  at  Frankfort,  fled  to  Louisville.  But  the  Southern  army  pressed  on 
to  Lexington  with  the  intention  of  crossing  the  Ohio  River  and  destroying 
the  city  of  Cincinnati.  They  found  their  way  obstructed  by  strong 
fortifications  on  the  south  side  of  the  river  and  a  force  under  General 
Lew  Wallace.  Smith  then  turned  toward  Frankfort,  captured  the  city, 
and  waited  for  General  Bragg.  Bragg  crossed  the  Cumberland  River 
September  5th  with  8000  Confederates,  and  September  14th  the  advance 
guard  was  repulsed  by  Colonel  T.  J.  Wilder;  but  two  days  after  Colonel 
Wilder  was  compelled  to  surrender  to  a  superior  force.  Thus  far  the 
Southern  army  had  had  it  their  own  way,  but  now  there  came  a  change; 
General    Buell    fell   upon   the   combined    armies  of  Bragg    and    Smith  at 


IP 


1865] 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


339 


ts  had  passed, 
November  2d, 
epared  to  move 
as  on  the  west 
;  of   the  North 
d  General  A.  E. 
career  of  Major 
Lhe  army  of  the 
lis  men. 

plan  to  capture 
lUes   at   Acquina 
he   intended  to 
)pahannock,   Lee 
rear  of  the  city, 
obliged  to  cross 
a  heavy  fire,  and 
5th  of  December, 
e  took  possession 
ver    of    darkness, 
nuary   26th,  1863, 
ve  them,  while  we 
ppi.     We  had  left 
it   river,    from  its 
nphis,    Tennessee, 
independent  band 
|with  his  horsemen, 
in    all  directions 
by  a  Confederate 
irivate   and   public 
:ople.     General  E. 
ntucky  from  East 
jital.     A  desperate 
[n  which  the  Union 
[ted  Legislature  in 
•n  army  pressed  on 
ver  and  destroying 
:ructed    by    strong 
,rce   under  General 
.captured  the   city, 
[Cumberland    River 
1  14th  the    advance 
days  after  Colonel 
:e.     Thus    far  the 
re  came  a  change; 
igg    and    Smith  at 


Perryville,  and  after  a  severe  fight,  drove  the  Confederates  from  Kentucky, 
with  severe  loss,  October  8th.  General  Buell  like  General  McClellan  was  too 
cautious  and  careful.  If  he  had  acted  with  vigor  and  decisioai,  the  invasion 
of  Smith  and  Bragg,  would  have  been  crushed  at  once  by  the  capture  of  the 
entire  force.  As  it  was  it  was  harmful  rather  than  beneficial  to  the  Southern 
cause,  and  General  Bragg  who  was  responsible  for  it,  was  relieved  of  his 
command  by  the  Confederates. 

While  all  this  was  going  on  in  Kentucky,  General  Van  Dorn,  and  Price, 
were  invading  Tennessee  with  another  Confederate  force.  General  Rosecrans 
with  a  small  force  overcame  the  Confederates  in  a  closely  contested  battle  at 
luka  Springs,  September  19th.  The  beaten  army  fled  southward,  and  at 
Ripley  were  reinforced,  and  prepared  to  attack  Corinth,  now  held  by  Ros- 
ecrans, and  in  both  engagements  of  October  2d  and  3d,  the  Southern  army 
was  repulsed,  and  finally  driven  back  to  Ripley.  Then  there  came  a  period  of 
quiet  in  the  department  over  which  General  Grant  was  in  command. 

In  the  meantime  there  were  important  events  transpiring  on  the  Great 
River.  The  forces  under  Admiral  Farragut,  and  General  Butler,  had  moved 
up  the  river  and  taken  Baton  Rouge,  the  capital  of  Louisiana,  as  early  as 
May  7th.  Farragut's  vessels  ran  up  to  Vicksburg  and  exchanged  salutations 
with  the  gun-boats  of  Admiral  Davis,  which  came  down  from  Memphis, 
June  29th.  Farragut  with  the  Hartford,  and  other  vessels,  ran  by  the  forts 
of  Vicksburg  and  joined  the  fleet  above.  He  besieged  the  city,  and 
attempted  to  cut  a  canal  across  the  peninsula,  and  avoid  it  altogether,  but 
this  failed,  and  the  fleet  returned  down  the  river.  There  was  an  attack  by 
the  Confederate  troops  under  General  Breckenridge,  at  Baton  Rouge.  The 
Union  General  Williams  was  killed,  but  the  assailants  were  repulsed.  The 
Confederate  ram,  Arkansas,  was  destroyed  by  the  United  States  vessel  Essex, 
Captain  Porter  commander,  August  6th.  Captain  Porter  went  up  the  river  to 
reconnoitre  and  had  a  sharp  fight  at  Port  Hudson,  September  7th.  A  large 
part  of  Louisiana,  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Mississippi,  was  brought  under 
control  before  the  close  of  the  year.  General  Butler  was  relieved  of  the 
command  of  New  Orleans,  by  General  Banks,  December  i6th. 

The  account  of  one  more  battle  will  end  the  record  for  the  year 
1862.  General  Rosecrans  had  taken  the  sadly  demoralized  army  of  the 
Cumberland,  thoroughly  reorganized  and  disciplined  it.  It  was  in  the 
vicinity  of  Bowling  Green  when  he  took  command.  Bragg  had  a  large 
force  at  Stone  River,  or  Murfreesborough,  and  was  preparing  to  annihilate 
the  Union  army.  A  most  sanguinary  conflict  was  begun  on  the  31st  of 
December,  and  was  fought  all  day.  At  night  the  Unionists  were  so 
completely  overcome  that  Bragg  expected  that  they  would  seek  safety  in 
flight  during  the  darkness,  but  to  his  astonishment  they  were  still  in  his  front, 
ready  to  renew  the  encounter.  The  contest  was  fierce  and  sharp,  when  the 
day  seemed  to  be  irretrievably  lost  to  the  North,  a  charge  of  seven 
regiments  under  the  leadership  of  Brigadier-General  W.  B.  Hargen,  sent  the 
Confederate  lines  flying  in  confusion,  and  won  the  fearful  prize  of  victory 


I'ifl 

W^ 

yA\ 

If' 

m 

■fj' 

'■■'"Ij 

'•■i 

J':M 

:i 

m.''\ 

340 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


[I86i 


from  the  very  teeth  of  defeat.  Bragg  retreated  to  Chattanooga,  and 
Rosecrans  held  possession  of  Murfreesborough. 

Thus  begins  the  year  of  1863,  with  a  decided  and  glorious  victory  on  the 
field  of  battle  ;  but  there  was  a  moral  victory  also  won  on  this  day,  which 
decided  the  fate  of  the  country  for  future  generations. 

THE  EMANCIPATION  PROCLAMATION. 

'HE  National  Government  had  disavowed  any  intention 

to  make  war  upon  slavery  in  the  States  where  it  existed- 

The   contest   was  for   the    supremacy  of   the    Nation, 

and    the    enforcement   of    its   laws    and   Constitution. 

There    came   a   mighty   revolution   of    feeling    among 

those   in  the  North,  who   had    sympathized  with  the 

peculiar  institution  of  the   South.      They  came  to  see 

that  this  was  the  fundamental  cause  of  the  insurrection,  and 

at  the  same  time  a  means  of  prolonging  strife.    The  negroes 

could  plant,  reap  the  crops,  and  attend  to  domestic  affairs, 

while  the  white  men  were  doing  military  duty.     The  course 

of  many  of  the  Northern  generals  in  returning  the  fugitive 

slaves  who  came  into  their  lines,  was  very  unpopular. 

The  Republican  party  in  Congress  was  pressing  upon 
the  attention  of  President  Lincoln,  the  importance  of 
emancipating  the  slaves  held  by  those  who  were  fighting  the 
national  government.  Congress  had  abolished  slavery  in  the 
District  of  Columbia,  and  on  the  22d  of  September,  Abraham  Lincoln  issued 
a  preliminary  proclamation,  in  which  he  declared  his  purpose  to  issue  a 
Proclamation  of  Emancipation  on  the  first  day  of  January,  1863,  forever 
setting  free  the  slaves  of  all  men  found  that  day  in  open  rebellion  against  the 
United  States.  The  Confederates  sneered  at  this,  and  their  Northern 
sympathizers,  of  whom  there  were  some  still  remaining  called  it  a  "  Pope's  Bull 
against  a  Comet."  The  war  went  on  as  we  have  seen ;  prosecuted  with  vigor 
on  both  sides.  The  dawn  of  the  New  Year  came,  and  "  The  Emancipation 
Proclamation  "  was  issued  under  the  seal  of  the  United  States.  The 
friends  of  freedom  hailed  it  all  over  the  world  as  the  harbinger  of  success  to 
the  North.  At  once  the  fetters  were  stricken  from  over  three  mi'' 
human  beings,  and  they  were  free  before  the  law  to  enter  tht  u* 
and  as  fast  as  new  territory  in  the  South  was  occupied  by  iie> 

were  set  at  liberty.  It  was  a  severe  blow  to  the  South,  and  >k  aw;i  heir 
hope,  but  it  allied  all  the  real  friends  of  human  liberty  in  the  world  to  the 
cause  of  the  Union.  While  the  North  was  engaged  in  this  v  rk,  the 
Confederacy  was  engaged  in  extensive  preparations  to  destroy  the  commerce 
and  the  power  of  the  nation.  Privateers,  built  in  British  shipyards,  equipped 
with  British  guns  and  seamen,  fitted  out  in  British  waters ;  were  sent  to  prey 
upon  American  commerce,  with  the  stars  and    bars   flying  at  their  peak. 


1865] 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


341 


(1  any  intention 
^here  it  existed- 
of   the    Nation. 
id   Constitution, 
feeling    among 
thizcd  with  the 
ley  came  to  see 
insurrection,  and 
fe.    The  negroes 
domestic  affairs, 
aty.    The  course 
ning  the  fugitive 
popular. 

as  pressing   upon 
;    importance   of 
were  fighting  the 
led  slavery  in  the 
am  Lincoln  issued 
jrpose   to   issue  a 
lary,  1863,  forever 
bellion  against  the 
i    their   Northern 
d  it  a  "Pope's  Bull 
isecuted  with  vigor 
:e  Emancipation 
lited  States.      The 
inger  of  success  to 

three  mi^' 
|er  t1      '• 

,d       .k  awa      '^eir 

the  worUI   to  the 

|in  this    V    rk,   the 

(troy  the  commerce 

ihipyards,  equipped 

;  were  sent  to  prey 

ring  at  their  peak. 


When  the  people  of  New  York  heard  the  cry  of  the  starving  operatives  at 
Manchester,  England,  whose  supply  of  cotton  had  bi'cn  cut  off  by  the 
blockade  of  the  South,  they  sent  a  ship-load  of  provisions  to  aid  them.  Thia 
vessel,  laden  with  the  voluntary  bounty  of  America  to  the  starving  citizens 
of  England,  was  guarded  upon  her  voyage  by  an  armed  government  vessel 
to  preserve  her  from  the  piratical  torch,  lighted  by  Hritish  hands. 

The  course  of  Great  Britain,  during  all  the  period  of  civil  war  in 
America,  seems  to  the  historian  a  peculiarly  inconsistent  one.  With  the 
proud  boast  that  no  slave  could  live  under  her  flag,  she  hastened  to  recognize 
the  belligerent  rights  of  the  Confederate  States,  gave  the  moral  aid  of  her 
indifference  and  apathy  to  acts  of  illegality,  and  stultified  herself  in  regard 
to  her  national  policy  of  eigiity  years  on  the  question  of  neutrality  ;  gave  a 
ready  market  to  the  bonds  of  irredeemable  value,  and  sheltered  and  abetted 
the  enemies  of  a  country  with  which  she  was  at  peace;  furnished  ships, 
munitions  of  war,  and  men  to  fight  against  the  same  country.  All  this  for 
the  sake  of  aiding  a  cause  avowedly  resting  upon  slavery  as  its  chief  corner- 
stone. 

The  Confederate  privateer  Alabama,  the  principal  one  of  the  craft 
fitted  out  by  the  Hritish,  committed  fearful  depredations  on  American 
commerce  during  the  last  ninety  days  of  the  year  1862. 

THE  MILITARY  OPERATIONS  OF  1863. 

E    will    open    the    account    of    the    year    with    the 
operations   on   the    Mississippi.     A    portion    of    this 
great    river  was   still    in  the   hands   of    the   Confed- 
erates, from   Vicksburg   to    Port    Hudson,  where  the 
South   had   been    permitted   to   erect    strong    fortifi- 
cations, a  distance  of   twenty-five  miles  from  Baton 
Rouge.     Grant   had   a   large   amount   of  supplies  at 
Holly  Springs,  which,  owing  to   the  carelessness   or 
something    worse  of    the  commandant,  there   fell   into   the    hands 
of   the    Confederates   December   20th.   Grant    was   forced    to    fall 
back,    and    thus  a   large   force   was   able   to   come  to  Vicksburg. 
Sherman   had   planned   to   attack  the   city   in   the  rear,  but   in  an 
engagement    on    the   Chickasaw   Bayou   was   defeated    with    great 
loss  December   28th,    1862.     He   was   compelled   to  abandon   that 
p'     enterprise,  and   January   2d,    1863,  he   was   superseded   by  General 
McClernand,  who  out-ranked  him.     About  the  middle  of   January 
the  Confederate   fort   at   Arkansas   Pass  was   captured  and   many  supplies 
destroy    d.     Grant   had   come    down   the   river   from    Memphis,   and   Vicks- 
burg       s  placed  under  siege.     The   army  was   organized   into   four  corps, 
and  a  series  of  movements  which  would  in  themselves  fill  a  volume  he 

finaii,     truck  upon  a  plan  which  he  followed  to  the  end.    Some  of  the  naval 


i^ 

t 

i  ■  ■ 

] 

■  ■  i 

,  i 

■! 

^;-| 


342 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


[1861 


fleet  ran  down  by  Vicksburg  to  destroy  the  Confederate  fleet  below,  but 
were  themselves  taken  and  destroyed.  A  strong  force  went  down  the 
west  bank  of  the  river  in  command  of  generals  McClernand  and  McPherson, 
in  the  direction  of  New  Carthage.  Porter  determined  to  run  by  the 
batteries  of  Vicksburg,  and  succeeded  in  doing  so  with  most  of  his  fleet 
and  transports  on  the  i6th  of  April  j  on  the  22d  six  transports  accom- 
plished the  same  feat,  and  now  Grant  prepared  for  a  vigorous  attack 
upon  the  flank  and  rear  of  the  city.  A  most  wonderful  cavalry  raid 
under  Colonel  Grierson  through  the  very  heart  of  Mississippi  assured 
Grant  that  the  bulk  of  the  Southern  army  of  that  region  was  in 
Vicksburg.  Porter  attacked  and  again  ran  by  the  batteries  of  Vicksburg 
April  29th,  and  May  ist  gained  a  victory  at  Port  Gibson.  Sherman 
joined  the  Union  army  May  8th.  The  Confederates  were  defeated  near 
Richmond  May  12th,  and  again  at  Jackson  May  14th.  The  Confed- 
erates were  driven  northward  and  another  victory  was  gained  for  the 
Union  army  at  Champion  Mills;  the  i6th  and  17th  Grant  drove  them 
from  Big  Black  River,  and  on  the  19th  he  had  the  whole  army  penned 
up  in  Vicksburg,  having  lived  off  the  enemy's  country  for  two  weeks,  in 
which  time  his  army  had  gained  repeated  victories.  The  very  day  he 
arrived  before  Vicksburg  Grant  made  an  assault,  but  was  repulsed.  This 
he  followed  up  with  another  unsuccessful  attempt  on  the  22d,  Then  he 
settled  down  to  a  regular  siege  of  the  city  for  forty  days,  pouring  shot  and 
shell  into  the  beleaguered  town  day  and  night,  until  the  citizens  were 
safe  only  in  caves  that  they  dug  in  the  banks  of  the  hills  with  which 
the  city  abounds.  The  army  and  people  were  reduced  to  the  verge  of 
starvation  and  were  in  great  distress.  They  were  driven  to  the  necessity 
of  eating  mule  meat,  and  cats  and  dogs.  Fourteen  ounces  of  food  for 
ten  days  was  the  extent  of  the  rations  issued.  General  Pemberton  gave 
up  all  hope  of  being  relieved  by  Johnston,  who  he  thought  would  strike 
in  Grant's  rear,  and  on  the  morning  of  July  3d  he  sent  proposals  to 
surrender.  The  formal  surrender  was  made  on  the  glorious  fourth  of 
July,  and  there  was  great  rejoicing,  for  on  the  same  day  another  hard 
fought  battle  was  won  in  the  East.  Twenty-seven  thousand  stand  of 
arms  were  taken  and  the  strongest  fortress  on  the  Mississippi  fell  into 
the  hands  of  the  Unionists.  The  commander  of  Port  Hudson,  vvhich 
had  been  bravely  besieged  by  General  Banks  for  forty  days,  surrendered  on 
the  9th;  but  we  will  recount  his  doings  in  the  Lower  Mississippi  prior 
to  this.  Banks  had  sent  troops  to  the  support  of  the  Union  forces  at 
Galveston,  Texas,  but  the  Confederate  General  Magruder  had  repulsed 
them  and  retaken  the  city.  This  was  a  barren  victory  to  the  Confed- 
erates for  Admiral  Farragut  maintained  a  strict  blockade  over  that 
port.  After  this  a  land  and  naval  force  was  sent  into  the  Teche  region 
and  •  made  a  successful  expedition  to  repossess  the  western  part  of 
Louisiana. 

An  expedition  to  the  Red  River  under  Banks  penetrated  the  countr)' 


1865] 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


343 


ictrated  the  countr)' 


as  far  as  Alexandria,  where  the  general  proclaimed  that  all  Southern  and 
Western  Louisiana  was  free  from  Confederate  rule.  With  this  impression  he 
led  his  troops  to  Port  Hudson  and  invested  that  point.  He  made  an  assault 
on  this  fortress  on  May  29th,  but  was  repulsed  with  much  loss.  The  siege 
went  on  for  forty  days,  and  after  Vicksburg  fell  into  the  hands  of  the 
Unionists,  the  Confederates  saw  that  it  would  be  useless  to  try  to  hold  out 
longer  and  capitulated.  Now  the  river  was  open  to  the  sea,  and  the 
Confederacy  was  severed  in  two  parts.  The  blow  was  a  severe  one,  and 
the  wiser  men  of  the  Confederacy  saw  that  their  cause  was  hopeless 
from  this  point  in  the  contest. 

We   last    left    the    army   of   the   Potomac    in    winter-quarters    at    the 
opening  of  the  year,   Major-General   Joseph  Hooker   in  command.     There 
followed   a  period   of    three   months   in    which   he   was   busily   engaged    in 
re-organizing  that  army.    A  large  number  of  ofificers  and  men  were  absent 
from    their    regiments.     There    were    officers   who    were    opposed    to    *;he 
Government's   policy   on  the    question     of  slavery,  and  many  were  crying 
out   it  is  a  "  war  for  the  negro "  and  not   a  "  war   for  union."     These  men 
•.vere  removed  and  their  places  were  filled  by  energetic  men  in  full  sympathy 
with  the  administration.     Order  and  discipline  became  thoroughly  established 
and   Hooker  had  over  one  hundred  thousand  available   troops  on  the  first 
day  of  April.     The  period  of  rest  and  reformation  of  the   army  had  done 
much  to   add  to  its   tone  and  strength.     During  this  same  time  General  Lee 
had  been  engaged  in  strengthening  the  army  of   Northern  Virginia,     A  rigid 
conscription  act  had  been  enforced   and  all  the  available  men  were  hurried 
into  the   ranks.     He   had   made   the  defense  of   Richmond  impregnable  and 
with  wonderful  energy  and  skill  had  put  his  army  into   the  best  condition  for 
the  coming  struggle.     In  April,  Lee  had  a  well   organized  and  enthusiastic 
army   of   more  than   sixty   thousand  men.     A   part  of  his  army  under  Long- 
street   were    in    South-eastern    Virginia    but    Lee    was    behind  the  strong, 
fortifications  and  able  to  cope  with  a  much  superior  force. 

Early  in  April  Hooker  determined  to  make  an  advance  upon  Rich- 
mond. He  threw  a  mounted  force  of  ten  thousand  men  in  the  rear  of 
Lee's  army,  and  moved  with  another  large  force  to  Chancellorsville,  within 
ten  miles  of  Richmond.  The  left  wing  of  Hooker's  army,  consisting  of  the 
First,  Third,  and  Sixth  Corps,  was  near  Fredericksburg,  under  General 
Sedgwick,  and  by  their  demonstration  on  the  Confederate  front  so 
completely  deceived  General  Lee  that  Hooker  was  well  on  the  way  before 
Lee  was  aware  of  his  real  design.  But  Lee  did  not  turn  back  to  Richmond, 
as  Hooker  thought  he  would  when  he  discovered  his  peril,  but  pushed  the 
column  of  Stonewall  Jackson  forward,  and  compelled  Hooker  to  fight  at 
Chancellorsville,  with  his  army  divided.  There  was  great  peril  for  both 
armies — Hooker  and  Lee.  The  bloody  battle  of  Chancellorsville  was  fought 
the  1st  and  2d  of  May,  and  resulted  in  a  bitter  defeat  for  the  Union  army. 
The  struggle  was  severe  and  sanguinary,  and  Hooker's  army  was  driven  back 
on  the  road  leading  to  the  Rapidan  and  the   Rappahannock.    Lee's  forces 


i;u  ) 


344 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


ri86i 


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were  united,  but  Hooker's  were  divided.  Sedgwick,  at  Fredericksburg,  was  in 
danger  and  could  not  come  to  Hooke-'s  aid.  When  he  received  the 
command  of  his  chief,  he  moved  at  once  and  took  possession  of  Fredericks- 
burg— stormed  the  heights,  and  drove  General  Early  back  May  3d.  He  then 
moved  on  to  join  Hooker's  main  body,  but  was  checked  at  Salem's  Church,  a 
few  miles  from  Fredericksburg,  by  the  whole  of  Lee's  army.  Now,  instead  of 
being  able  to  join  Hooker,  he  was  driven  across  the  Rappahannock  May  4th 
and  5th.  Hooker,  hearing  of  the  disaster  to  Sedgwick,  was  obliged  to  retreat 
across  the  river.  The  Union  forces  united  and  fell  back  on  May  5th.  The 
whole  movement  had  resulted  in  a  severe  loss  to  the  Union  army,  and  a 
decided  victory  to  the  Confederates.  Longstreet  had  made  a  spirited  and 
vigorous  attack  upon  General  Peck,  but  had  been  repulsed  at  Suffolk  at  the 
head  of  the  Nansemond  River,  and  Longstreet,  hearing  of  the  disaster  at 
Chancellorsville,  joined  Lee  and  made  his  army  as  strong  as  that  of  the 
Nationals.  The  Union  army  had  been  out-generaled  once  more,  and  the  skill 
and  energy  of  the  Confederate  commander  had  won  the  day. 

Under  the  impression  that  there  was  still  a  large  body  of  people  in  the 
North  who  would  manifest  active  sympathy  with  the  Confederates  if  they 
had   the    opportunity   to    do   so,   and    highly   elated    by   their   successes  at 
Chancellorsville,  the  authorities  ordered  Lee  to  prepare  for  another  formidable 
invasion  of    Maryland  and  Pennsylvania.     But  they  had  misunderstood  the 
temper  and  the  resources  of  the  North.     Hooker   suspected  this  design,  and 
reported    his  convictions  to  the  government  at  Washington.     The  term  of 
enlistment  of  a  large  number  of  troops  that  had  volunteered  for  nine  months 
had  expired,  and  Hooker's  army  was  being  weakened  by  their  discharge,  but 
other  recruits  for  three  years  or  during  the  war  were  coming  in.     By  a  flank 
movement  Lee  compelled  Hooker  to  break  up  his  camp  ont  le  Rappahannock 
and  move  toward  Washington.     Lee  at  the  same  time  sent  his  left  wing  up 
the  Shenandoah,  and  a  battle  was  fought  at  Winchester,  in  which  General 
Milroy  was  driven  back  and  the  Union  forces  suffered  severe  loss,  but  escaped 
into  Maryland  and  Pennsylvania  with  their  supply  and  ammunition  trains.    A 
large  cavalry  force  pursued   Milroy   into  Pennsylvania,    and  destroyed  the 
railroad   up  the    Cumberland    Valley   to   Chambersburg,    in    Pennsylvania, 
plundering  the  people  all  along  the  march.    The  Confederate  army  was  upon 
Northern   soil  on  June  25th.     Hooker  had  been  vigilant  and  active  in  the 
meanwhile,   and  crossed  the  Potomac  at  Edwards'  Ferry.    A  disagreement 
arose  between  General   Hooker  and  General   Halleck — then  Commander-in- 
chief — and   Hooker    resigned.       General    George    G.  Meade  was  placed    in 
command  of   the   army  of   the  Potomac  June  28th,  and  retained  it  to  the 
close  of  the  war.     At  this  time  the  Union  army  were  in  Frederick,  Maryland, 
ready  to  cut  off  Lee's  line  of  communication,  fall  upon  his  columns  in  retreat, 
or  follow  him   up   the   Susquehanna   Valley.     Lee  was  then   preparing  to 
march  on  to  Philadelphia,  but  learning  of  the  danger  which  threatened  his 
flank  and  rear  he  recalled  Ewell,  who  was  within   a  few  miles  of  Harrisburg. 
The   rapid  gathering  of  the  militia  of  Pennsylvania  and  surrounding  States 


1865] 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


34S 


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alarmed  him,  and  Lee,    therefore,  concentrated  all  the  army  of    Northern 
Virginia  in  the  vicinity  of  Gettysburg.     He  did  this  for  the  purpose  of  falling 
upon  the  army  of  the  Potomac  with  crushing  force,  and  then  march  upon 
Baltimore  or  Washington,  or,  in  case  of  defeat,  have  a  line  of    retreat  to  the 
Potomac   River.      General   Meade  did  not  comprehend  this  design  of   Lee 
until  June  30th,  and  then  at  once  he  prepared  to  meet  the  shock  of  battle  on 
a  line  a  little  south  of  Gettysburg.    This  was  the  pivotal  battle  of   the  war, 
and  deserves  more  than  a  passing  notice.    The  Confederates  had  invaded  a 
Northern  State,  and  were  now  to  meet  the  Union  army  on  its  own  soil.    The 
great  cities  of  the  North  were  threatened.    The  Southern  army  had  touched 
its  highest  point,  and  upon  this  issue  the  fortunes  of  the  country  hung.    A 
new   general  had   assumed   the   command  of   an   army  with  which   he  was 
unacquainted  two  days  before  the  contest  was  commenced.     Meade  had  an 
oft-defeated  army  of    from  sixty  to    seventy  thousand  men  with  which  to 
meet  the  seventy-five  thousand  victorious  troops  of  Lee.     McClellan,  Burnside 
and  Hooker  had  measured  abil'ty  with  this  adroit  and  self-possessed  chieftain, 
and  been  worsted  again  and  again.     It  seemed  a  hopeless  task,  but  Meade 
was  calm,  quiet,  resolute,  brave,  and  unpretending.     He  set  himself  about 
the  task  assigned  him,  and  he  accomplished  it  by  the  loyal   co-operation  of 
his  brave  corps  commanders,  and  the  persistency  of  the  noble  rank  and  file 
who  were  determined  to   conquer  or  die.      Thousands  of    men  who  had 
hitherto  excused  themselves  frorr  active  military  service  in  the  field  arose  to 
arms,  and  offered  themselves  for  immediate  service,  when  the  field  of  battle  was 
changed  from  Southern  to  Northern  soil.     The  Union  cavalry  under  General 
Kilpatrick  had  met  and  defeated  the  force  under  General  Stewart,  at  Hanover, 
a  town  east  of  Gettysburg,  June  29th,  and  on  the  odme  day  Buford  and  his 
horsemen  entered  Gettysburg,  but  found  no  Confederates  there.    The  30th, 
General  J.  F.  Reynolds,  the  brave  commander  of  the  First  Corps,  who  fell  on 
the  field  of  battle  the  next  day,  arrived  with  his  troops.     General  Hill  of  the 
Confederate  army  was  approaching  with  a  large  force  from  Chambersburg, 
which  encountered  Buford's  cavalry  in  the  early  morning  of   July  ist.    The 
sound   of    a  sharp   skirmish   brought    Reynolds  to   the  field,  and  a  severe 
engagement   ensued   on   Oak    or    Seminary   Ridge,    in    which    the    gallant 
Reynolds  fell  dead.     General  O.  O.  Howard  with  the  Eleventh  Corps  came 
up  and  the  battle  became  more  general,  for  Lee  was  concentrating  his  forces 
there.    The  Union  army  resisted  the  attack,  and  held  their  ground  bravely  as 
charge  after  charge  was  made  upon  their  lines,  but  at  night  they  were  pressed 
back  to  a  more  advantageous  position  selected  by  General  W.  S.  Hancock, 
the  intrepid  and  beloved  commander  of  the  Second  Corps.    This  position  was 
on  a  range  of   rocky  hills  back  of,  but  close  to,  the  village.     The  line  was 
formed  m  the  two  sides  of  a  triangle,  with  Cemetery  Hill,  the  point  nearest 
the  town,  forming  the  angle.     Here  the  troops  halted  for  the  night,  and  threw 
up  breastworks  for  defense.     General  Meade  with  the  main  body  of  the  army 
hastened  up  to  join  the  noble  forces  who  had  sustained  the  brunt  of  the  first 
day's  fight.    The  next  day  the  forces  were  facing  each  other  on  what  was  to 


)^%:    ! 


346 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


[1861 


prove  the  most  hotly-contested  battle  field  of  the  war.  Each  commander 
understood  the  immense  value  of  the  prize  at  stake,  and  seemed  loth  to 
make  the  first  move  in  the  decisive  contest.  Not  until  late  in  the  afternoon 
of  July  2d  did  the  carnage  open.  General  Lee  then  precipitated  his  solid 
columns  upon  Meade's  left,  commanded  by  General  Sickles,  and  the  fearful 
harvest  of  death  began. 

This  extended  to  the  center,  commanded  by  Hancock,  and  the  heavy 
masses  of  armed  men  rolled  up  to  his  line  to  be  driven  back,  like  the  waves 
of  the  sea  from  an  iron-bound  coast.  Huge  furrows  were  plowed  through 
the  solid  ranks  of  men  by  the  shot  and  shell,  that  swept  them  from  the 
Union  artillery  and  y;t  they  would  re-form  and  march  up,  again  to  be 
swept  back  by  the  aw/ul  whirlwind  of  slaughter  that  opposed  them.  At 
sunset  the  battle  ceased  on  this  side  of  the  triangle.  The  rocky  eminence 
called  Little  Round  Top,  was  the  center  of  the  most  determined  struggle, 
and  the  Confederates  endeavored  to  take  it  at  any  cost  so  that  they  could 
hurl  the  left  wing,  back  on  the  center.  But  the  brave  troops  stationed  here 
were  as  firm  as  the  impenetrable  granite,  and  held  the  position  :  at  once  it 
was  opened  on  the  right  and  right  center,  commanded  by  generals  Slocum 
and  Howard.  The  latter  occupied  Cemetery  Hill,  and  the  former  Culps  Hill. 
Early  and  Johnson,  of  General  Ewell's  corps  of  the  Confederate  army,  fell 
with  great  vigor  upon  these  points,  and  seemed  determined  to  carry  them  at 
all  hazards.  They  were  repulsed  with  great  slaughter  from  the  right  center 
on  Cemetery  Hill,  but  succeeded  in  turning  the  right  wing,  and  holding  it  for 
the  night.  This  struggle  ended  at  ten  o'clock  at  night.  This  day's  fight  had 
resulted  in  some  advantage  to  the  Confederates.  Lee  was  sanguine  that 
another  day  would  bring  a  complete  victory  for  the  Confederate  cause. 
That  was  an  axious  night  in  many  a  Northern  home,  as  millions  of  sleepless 
men  and  women  were  reading  the  swiftly  flying  news  of  the  deadly 
encounter. 

The  loss  of  Lee  had  been  considerable ;  but  the  Union  line  was 
weakened,  and  an  attack  on  the  morning  would  sweep  them  from  the  field. 
This  was  the  hour  of  deepest  gloom  to  the  Union  cause,  and  not  a  man  from 
the  Commander-in-chief  down  to  the  humblest  private  in  the  ranks  but  knew 
it.  A  million  of  brave  men  throughout  the  country  were  in  arms,  but  the 
(Course  of  Lee's  northward  march  could  not  be  prevented  if  he  won  this 
(decisive  battle  field.  At  four  the  next  morning  General  Slocum  advanced 
and  re-occqpied  the  ground  ,he  had  lost  the  night  before.  Meade 
strengthened  his  weakened  lines.  ^  hard  fight  of  four  hours  was  necessary 
to  retrieve  the  old  position,  and  hold  the  persistent  columns  of  Ewell  in 
check.  The  Union  left  and  left  center  were  impregnable,  and  Lee  prepared 
to  fall  with  crushing  eflect  upqn  the  weaker  right.  The  entire  forenoon  was 
passed  by  the  opposing  generals  in  making  prepj^ration  for  the  fearful 
death  grapple.  At  one  o'clock  the  artillery  from  Lee's  army  ^opened  upon 
Howard's  front.  The  challe;r)ge  Was  answered  by  the  Union  army,.  The 
(pountry    for  npiiles    around   ;sbopk    aj^    ,the   rpar  pf   ^yex   Ahrpp   .Uwti/ed 


1865] 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


347 


heavy  guns.  For  three  hours  the  awful  duel  was  kept  up,  sending  death 
and  carnage  to  either  side.  Then  Lee,  under  the  cover  of  this  heavy 
cannonading,  precipitated  his  solid  columns  which  were  to  break  the  Federal 
line  and  gain  the  day.  They  swept  over  the  plains,  and  with  the  fearful 
yell  of  battle,  attacked  the  breastworks,  only  to  be  swept  down  by  the 
grape  and  canister,  belching  forth  from  a  hundred  cannon.  The  ranks  fell  as 
grass  before  the  mower's  scythe  ;  but  on  and  on  the  gathering  columns  press, 
and  the  harvest  of  death  ceased  not  till  the  sun  v/ent  down.  As  men  went 
down  in  the  bloody  tide  their  places  were  filled  by  those  who  pressed  on 
after  them,  and  brave  men  contended  hand  to  hand  on  the  ramparts.  At  one 
time  Lee,  who,  like  the  French  Napoleon  at  Waterloo,  was  watching 
the  battle  from  a  hill-top,  saw  through  the  lifting  battle-cloud  the 
Confederate  flag  waving  on  the  Union  ramparts  at  a  certain  point.  His 
generals  congratulate  him  on  a  victory ;  but  he  looks  as  another  dense 
cloud  of* smoke  lifts,  and  his  men  are  seen  broken  and  fleeing  down  the  fatal 
hill-side,  where  dead  men  cover  the  ground  so  thick  that  the  retreating  army 
tread  upon  them  at  every  step.  The  last  attack  has  failed  and  the  Federals 
have  won  THE  Battle  of  Gettysburg. 

Lee  began  his  hasty  retreat  on  the  fourth  of  July,  and  Meade,  with  his 
victorious  but  exhausted  army,  followed  in  hot  pursuit  to  the  Potomac, 
where,  by  fortifications  and  a  show  of  force,  Lee  was  able  to  hold  the 
Federals  at  bay  until  he  had  got  his  army  and  artillery  safely  across  the 
river  into  Virginia.  This  was  the  last  Confederate  advance  into  the  territory 
of  the  Northern  States. 

The  United  States  now  resolved  to  make  one  grand  effort  to  suppress 
the  Confederacy.  A  call  for  men  to  fill  up  the  army  not  meeting  with  so 
ready  a  response  as  the  circumstances  required,  a  draft  was  made  upon  able- 
bodied  men  between  eighteen  and  forty-five.  This  gave  rise  to  much 
dissatisfaction  among  the  peace  faction,  and  was  the  occasion  of  riots  in 
New  York.  These  were  put  down  by  the  police,  aided  by  some  troops, 
and  the  draft  went  on. 

After  the  defeat  at  Gettysburg,  General  Lee  and  General  Meade  had  a 
race  down  the  Shenandoah  Valley  similar  to  the  one  of  the  year  before. 
There  was  no  decisive  battle  between  the  two  armies  for  the  remainder  of 
the  year.  Several  cavalry  fights  at  Culpepper,  Fairfax,  Fredericksburg, 
Raccoon  Station,  Robertson's  River  and  Kelley's  Ford,  in  the  months  of 
August  and  September.  At  Cumberland  Gap,  Burnside  captured  two 
thousand  Confederates  September  9th.  There  was  a  sharp  fight  on  the 
Rappahannock  November  7th,  in  which  Lee  with  his  army  was  driven  across 
the  river  with  a  loss  of  two  thousand  prisoners,  four  guns,  and  eight  stands  of 
colors.  Lee  then  took  his  post  across  Mine  Run,  which  he  strongly  fortified 
with  breastworks  and  abatis,  and  held  Meade  again  at  bay.  Meade 
attempted  to  dislodge  him,  and  for  this  purpose  cut  loose  from  his  base, 
with  ten  days  rations  crossed  the  Rapidan,  and  with  his  force  advanced  to 
Mine  Run,  but  he  found  Lee  so  strongly  intrenched  that  he  gave  up  the 


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I 


348 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


[1861 


attempted  attack,  atiu  re-crossing  the  river  went  into  winter-quarters  the  first 
of  December. 

In  the  State  of  Tennessee  there  were  some  startling  events  during  the 
summer  and  fall  of  this  year.  In  June,  Rosccrans  ordered  an  advance  of 
his  army  in  three  divisions  under  generals  Thomas,  McCook  and  Crittenden. 
The  point  to  be  reached  from  Murfreesborough  was  Chattanooga.  June 
30th.  Bragg,  who  saw  the  design  of  Rosecrans,  fled  before  him  and  passed 
over  the  Cumberland  Mountains.  Rosecrans  followed  hard  after  him,  but  he 
reached  the  Tennessee  River,  and  crossed  it  at  Bridgeport,  and  then  hastened 
to  Chattanooga.  Rosecrans  pursued  Bragg  as  far  as  the  base  of  the 
mountain  ;  here  he  halted  and  rested  for  a  whole  month.  But  the  middle  of 
August  he  surprised  Bragg  by  appearing  in  his  front,  with  a  line  extendinj; 
along  the  Tennessee  River  above  Chattanooga  for  a  hundred  miles,  and 
poured  shot  and  shell  into  the  Confederate  camp. 

Early  in  September,  Thomas  and  McCook  had  crossed  the  Tennessee 
River,  and  by  the  8th  had  secured  the  passes  of  Lookout  Mountain,  while 
Crittenden  was  in  Lookout  Valley,  near  the  river.  When  Bragg  was 
informed  of  this,  he  abandoned  Chattanooga  to  defend  his  line  of 
communication,  and  Crittenden  moved  his  forces  into  the  Chattanooga 
Valley.  Thus  without  a  battle  the  object  of  crossing  the  mountain  was 
gained.  Bragg  had  been  driven  from  Middle  Tennessee,  and  from  his  strong- 
hold. Burnside  crossed  the  mountains  with  twenty  thousand  troops  and 
joined  Rosecrans  on  the  line  of  the  railroad  south-westerly  from  London. 

Rosecrans  thought  Bragg  was  in  full  retreat  and  pushed  forward  to 
strike  his  flank,  but  found  him  concentrated  at  Lafayette.  About  the 
middle  of  September  the  two  armies  were  face  to  face  on  the  Chick- 
amauga  Creek.  A  battle  ensued  and  the  Confederates  won  the  closely 
contested  field  at  a  fearful  loss  to  themselves.  Chattanooga  was  held 
by  the  Federals  but  they  were  hemmed  in  by  Bragg  and  his  army. 
The  Government  decided  to  hold  this  point,  and  ordered  generals  Grant, 
Burnside  and  Rosecrans  to  concentrate  there.  The  Federals  were  now 
threatened  with  famine,  but  General  Hooker  was  sent  from  the  army  of 
the  Potomac  with  the  Eleventh  and  Twelfth  Corps,  Howard's  and  Slocum's, 
to  hold  the  line  of  communication  for  Rosecrans.  So  the  attempt  of 
Bragg  to  starve  out  the  Federals  in  Chattanooga  failed.  The  Confed- 
erates had  possession  of  Lookout  Mountain,  and  swept  down  upon  the 
Twelfth  Corps  October  28th-29th  at  midnight,  but  found  the  general  upon 
the  watch  and  they  were  repulsed.  In  the  mean  time  Longstreet  had 
been  sent  into  Tennessee  to  seize  Knoxville  and  drive  out  the  army  of 
Burnside.  He  came  swiftly  and  secretly,  and  Burnside  was  closely  besieged 
in  that  city.  Grant  saw  that  he  must  attack  Bragg  at  once  upon  the 
arrival  of  Sherman's  troops.  The  plan  was  made  of  the  battle  in  which  Grant 
was  determined  to  strike  the  center  of  Bragg's  army  on  Missionary  Ridge 
and  his  right  on  Lookout  Mountain.  Thomas  advanced  to  Orchard  Knob, 
and   fortified   it   NoYcmber    23d.     Hooker   carried  the  works  at  the  base 


■fr 


1865] 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


349 


of  Lookout  Mountain,  and  his  victorious  troops  pressed  up  the  sides  of 
the  mountain,  which  was  hidden  from  sight  by  a  heavy  fog,  and  fought 
above  the  clouds.  The  Union  armies  in  the  valley  below  heard  the 
cannonading  and  the  shout  of  the  charge,  but  could  not  see  anything 
of  what  was  being  done  until  the  fog  cleared  up  the  next  morning  and 
showed  Hooker  in  possession  of  the  mountain  peak.  While  Hooker  was 
fighting  above  the  clouds  Sherman  had  successfully  performed  his  part 
in  the  plan  and  secured  a  strong  position  on  Missionary  Ridge.  In  the 
night  of  November  24th  Bragg  retired  from  Lookout  Mountain  and 
concentrated  all  his  forces  on  Missionary  Ridge.  The  severe  and  desperate 
encounter  of  the  25th  raged  all  day — Sherman,  Thomas  and  Hooker 
all  taking  part,  and  at  night  the  fires  of  victory  lighted  up  the  whole 
length  of  Missionary  Ridge  as  Bragg  was  in  full  retreat.  Sherman 
advanced  to  the  relief  of  Burnside  at  Knoxville,  and  Longstrcet  was 
compelled  to  raise  the  siege  December  3d,  and  return  to  the  army  of 
Virginia.  Sherman  returned  to  Chattanooga  and  Burnside  was  left  at 
Knoxville.  So  great  was  the  rejoicing  at  these  victories  that  President 
Lincoln  proclaimed  a  day  of  thanksgiving  and  praise,  as  he  had  done 
after  the   Union   victory   at  Vicksburg   and   Gettysburg. 

There  were  military  operations  of  some  little  account  in  North  Carolina 
during    the    year,  where    General   D.  H.        '  had    been    sent    by  order  of 


.   the    Union    forces    held 

■♦■    pass    from  their    control. 

>rt  Sumter  and  Charleston 

and  discouragement.  The 
obstacles    in    the    form     of 


General  Lee  to  harass  the  Federal  ti- 
the advantage  gained  and  the  State  d* 
There  was  a  most  desperate  attempt  to  ca^ 
waging  all  the  year,  with  repeated  failure 
harbor  had  been  filled  with  the  strongest 
torpedoes,  heavy  iron  chains,  sunken  vessels  and  other  impediments,  and 
guarded  by  batteries  of  great  strength.  General  Q.  A.  Gillmore  was 
placed  in  command  of  the  Union  forces  June  12th,  1863,  and  Admiral 
Dupont  was   succeeded  by  Admiral   Dahlgren   July  6th. 

Active  operations  were  commenced  at  once  from  Folly  Island,  held  by 
the  Union  forces,  opening  upon  Morris  Island.  General  Strong  landed  on  the 
latter  island  July  loth,  and  drove  the  Confederates  to  their  fortification, 
Fort  Wagner,  but  when  he  attacked  them  the  next  day  he  was  repulsed  with 
heavy  loss.  Gillmore  began  a  siege  of  this  fort,  which  continued  until 
September  6th,  when  the  Confederates  abandoned  it,  and  at  once  the  Federals 
occupied  Fort  Wagner  and  Fort  Gregg.  Now  they  had  full  command  of  the 
city  of  Charleston,  and  could  pour  their  solid  shot  and  shell  into  the  streets  of 
the  doomed  city.  Fort  Sumter  was  made  a  heap  of  shapeless  ruins  in 
October  by  the  heavy  cannonading  that  Gillmore  poured  in  upon  it. 

There  were  some  operations  of  more  or  less  consequence  beyond  the 
Mississippi,  inflicting  some  damages  upon  the  Federal  troops  and  stirring  up 
the  Indians  against  the  United  States.  But  these  resulted  in  no  very  decided 
advantage  to  the  Confederates,  and  at  the  close  of  1863  all  Texas  west  of 
the  Colorado  was  in  the  possession  of  the  Federals. 


Ti? 


*•  1 


I 
1 

\ 


350 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


[1861 


m. 


\i 


The  finances  of  trte  United  States  were  in  a  healtny  condition,  for  in 
spite  of  the  enormous  debt,  constantly  increasing,  the  public  credit  never 
stood  higher,  while  the  Confederate  States  were  in  a  most  deplorable  financial 
situation.  Their  war  debt  was  as  large  as  that  of  the  Federal  government 
and  the  credit  was  wanting.  They  were  forced  to  seize  supplies  for  their 
army,  and  in  order  to  keep  their  ranks  full,  passed  a  most  severe  conscription 
act,  calling  out  every  available  man  for  military  service  "  robbing  the  cradle 
and  the  grave." 

THE  MILITARY  OPERATIONS  OF  1864. 

iHE  Congress  of  the  United  States  in  the  opening  of  this 
year  saw  that  there  had  been  some  radical  trouble  in 
the  management  of  the  war,  and  came  to  the  conclusion 
to  put  some  one  man  in  command  of  the  entire  force  of 
the  Government  and  make  him  responsible  for  the 
conduct  of  the  war.  Hitherto  there  had  been  at  times  a 
conflict  of  authority,  and  different  generals  had  been 
working  upon  opposing  theories,  and  this  had  been  the  prolific 
cause  of  delays,  and  reverses.  Now  a  new  rank  was  created  by 
law,  and  U.  S.  Grant  was  commissioned  Lieutenant-General 
and  Commander-in-chief  of  all  United  States  forces.  He 
believed  that  the  surest  way  to  end  the  war,  and  in  the  long  run 
save  human  life,  was  to  strike  decisive  and  heavy  blows  and 
follow  them  up  with  hard  fighting.  He  would  make  war  with 
the  horrible  intention  of  killing  men  and  end  the  contest  as 
quickly  as  possible.  Two  expeditions  were  formed,  one  having 
the  capture  of  Atlanta,  Georgia,  and  the  other,  that  of 
Richmond  in  view.  For  the  first  he  put  General  W.  T.  Sherman  in  chief 
command,  and  for  the  second.  General  G.  G.  Meade.  The  task  of  the  latter 
was  to  beat  the  army  of  General  Lee,  and  the  former  the  army  of  Johnston. 
These  were  now  the  chief  armies  of  the  Confederacy,  and  upon  their 
destruction  hung  the  issue  of  the  war. 

The  year  1864  began  with  a  series  of  reverses  in  tlTe  extreme  South  and 
South-west.  The  capture  of  Fort  Pillow  and  the  treacherous  massacre  of  its 
garrison  by  General  Forest,  in  April,  was  a  foul  blot  upon  the  civilization  of 
the  age.  He  sent  a  flag  of  truce  demanding  the  surrender  of  the  fort,  and 
while  it  was  under  consideration  secretly  arranged  his  forces  to  fall  upon  it 
unexpectedly.  This  was  done  with  the  cry  "  No  quarter,"  when  a  large 
number  who  threw  down  their  arms  were  butchered  in  cold  blood.  Forest 
said  in  self-defense :  "  War  means  fight  and  fight  means  kill — we  want  but  few 
prisoners."  General  Banks  was  sent  up  the  Red  River  upon  a  disastrous 
expedition.  Missouri  was  invaded  by  a  large  force  which  caused  considerable 
trouble  throughout  the  summer  and  was  not  driven  out  until  November. 
Arkansas  had  come  under  the  control  of  the  Confederates,  and  the  Union 


^t 


[I86I 

ondition,  for  in 
ic  credit  never 
lorablc  financial 
:ral  government 
pplies  for  their 
ere  conscription 
)bing  the  cradle 


1864. 


e  opening  of  this 
adical  trouble  in 
;o  the  conclusion 
le  entire  force  of 
ponsible  for    the 
d  been  at  times  a 
merals  had  been 
been  the  prolific 
k  was  created  by 
ieutenant-General 
tes    forces.      He 
id  in  the  long  run 
heavy  blows  and 

make  war  with 
the  contest  as 
rmed,  one  having 
e  other,  that  of 
Sherman  in  chief 
task  of  the  latter 
.rmyof  Johnston. 

and   upon  their 

tremc  South  and 

IS  massacre  of  its 
he  civilization  of 

r  of  the  fort,  and 
;s  to  fall  upon  it 
:,"   when  a  large 

id  blood.  Forest 
-we  want  but  few 
pon  a  disastrous 
lused  considerable 
until  November, 
s,  and  the  Union 


1865] 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


351 


citizens  who  had  been  making  preparations  to  return  the  State  government  to 
the  Federals  were  silenced.  The  operations  in  Charleston  Harbor  were  being 
carried  on  slowly.  East  Tennessee  was  the  scene  of  stirring  events  of  minor 
importance,  but  the  country  turned  from  all  these  to  the  more  sanguinary  and 
gigantic  operations  in  Virginia  and  Georgia.  Some  movements  were 
undertaken  in  the  early  spring  of  1864,  with  the  design  of  capturing 
Richmond  and  releasing  the  Union  prisoners  in  Libby  Prison  and  on  Belle 
Isle.  In  February,  General  B.  F.  Butler  sent  fifteen  hundred  troops  against 
Richmond,  but  his  design  was  frustrated  by  treachery.  Later  than  this 
General  Kilpatrick  swept  around  Lee's  right  flank  with  five  thousand 
cavalry  and  penetrated  the  outer  defenses  of  Richmond,  but  was  compelled 
to  retire  March  ist.  Another  part  of  the  same  command  was  able  to  enter 
the  lines  at  another  point,  but  were  driven  back  with  the  loss  of  Colonel 
Dahlgren  and  ninety  men.  General  Easton  with  a  considerable  force 
threatened  to  cut  Lee's  communications  with  the  Shenandoah  Valley.  But  all 
these  little  forays  were  only  intended  to  show  how  hollow  the  Confederacy 
really  was,  rather  than  to  accomplish  any  great  result.  The  two  great  plans 
of  General  Grant  were  to  be  put  into  execution  later. 

The  mistaken  opinions  in  the  early  part  of  the  war  had  been  corrected 
by  bitter  experience,  and  the  North  and  South  were  alike  aware  that  the  fight 
must  wage  to  the  end.  A  well-tried  general,  in  whom  the  whole  North  had 
confidence,  had  assumed  command.  The  volunteer  army  was  no  longer  a 
mass  of  citizen  militia,  but  hardened  veterans  of  battle,  inured  to  heavy 
marching  and  heavy  fighting.  The  spirit  of  the  North  was  resolute  and  as 
determined  as  ever.  Grant  had  his  headquarters  with  the  army  of  the 
Potomac,  which  had  been  re-organized  and  formed  into  three  corps,  the 
Second  Corps  under  General  Hancock,  the  Fifth  in  command  of  General 
Warren,  and  the  Sixth  with  the  gallant  Sedgwick  at  its  head.  General 
Burnside  with  the  Ninth  Corps,  which  had  been  filled  up  by  recruits  and 
thoroughly  reconstructed  during  the  winter,  was  attached  to  the  army  of  the 
Potomac.  General  Grant  ordered  Meade  in  Virginia  and  Sherman  in  Georgia 
to  advance  the  beginning  of  May.  We  will  follow  the  fortunes  of  the  first. 
The  4th  of  May  the  army  of  the  Potomac  was  led  into  the  region  known  as 
the  Wilderness,  to  attack  the  Confederates  who  were  intrenched  on  Mine 
Run.  A  fearful  carnage  in  that  trackless  and  tangled  country  ensued  for  two 
days;  Lee's  front  could  not  be  carried,  and  his  flank  must  be  turned  it 
possible.  General  Warren  led  the  movement  out  of  the  Wilderness  with  the 
Fifth  Corps  May  8th,  and  came  to  the  open  country  at  Spottsylvania,  where 
he  found  a  part  of  Lee's  army  posted  across  his  path,  and  the  rest  of  the 
^orce  rapidly  concentrating  there.  The  flanking  movement  had  been 
expected  by  Lee,  and  he  was  ready  to  meet  it.  On  the  9th,  General 
Sedgwick  was  killed  while  reconnoitering  on  the  front  line.  The  battle 
opened  on  the  loth,  and  was  contested  with  fearful  loss  on  both  sides.  On 
the  nth  Grant  sent  his  famous  dispatch  to  Washington,  "  I  intend  to  fight  it 
out  on  this  line  if  it  takes  all  summer."    On  the  12th  Hancock  broke  Lee's 


i  .n 


\  . 


352 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


[1861 


line  and  gained  a  decided  advantage,  but  the  following  night  the  Confederate 
army  silently  withdrew  behind  his  second  line  of  intrenchments  and  was  as 
strong  as  ever.  Another  flank  movement  was  impending,  and  Lee  made 
an  attack  to  prevent  it  on  May  19th  and  was  repulsed.  While  thes-.- 
operations  were  going  on,  General  Sheridan  made  a  raid  upon  Lee's  rear  with 
a  large  force  of  cavalry,  and  came  to  within  a  few  miles  of  Richmond, 
destroying  railroads  and  military  supplies.  General  Sigel  was  in  the 
Shenandoah  and  Kanawha  valleys,  and  had  a  fight  at  New  Market  May  15th, 
in  which  the  Confederates  gained  the  day. 

General  Hutler  with  the  army  of  the  James  had  left  Fortress 
Monroe  with  twenty-five  thousand  troops  in  transports,  followed  by  Admiral 
Lee  with  gun-boats,  and  they  took  possession  of  both  sides  of  the  rivet 
as  far  as  City  Point  by  the  aid  of  fifteen  hundred  mounted  men,  who  hiui 
forded  the  Chickahominy  and  taken  their  position  on  the  James  opposite 
City  Point.  This  was  done  with  but  little  fighting,  for  there  were  few  Confed- 
erates there.  Butler  fortified  liermuda  Hundred  and  intended  to  cut 
communication  between  Petersburg  and  Richmond.  The  former  city  could 
have  been  easily  taken,  but  for  some  reason  it  was  not  accomplished, 
and  the  Confederates  from  South  Carolina  hastened  there  to  aid  in 
its  defense.  Beauregard  got  into  Petersburg  before  the  railroad  was  destroyed, 
and  on  the  morning  of  May  i6th  attacked  Butler's  right,  and  after  a 
sharp  fight  drove  his  army  into  their  intrenchments.  At  the  same  instant  a 
charge  on  Butler's  front  was  repulsed.  For  several  days  there  was  much 
fighting  all  along  his  lines. 

Grant's  army  was  moving  by  the  left  flank,  but  Lee  had  the  inside 
line  of  the  parallel  circles  on  the  road  to  Richmond  and  consequently 
was  able  to  move  faster  than  his  antagonist.  A  heavy  battle  was  fought 
at  the  North  Anna  River.  Grant  was  satisfied  that  he  could  not  carry 
the  strong  position  of  Lee,  and  again  resumed  his  march  by  the  left  flank. 
On  the  26th  of  May  the  whole  army  was  south  of  the  Pawmunkej*. 
Lee  was  again  In  a  fortified  position  and  a  heavy  battle  ensued.  "  By 
the  left  flank "  again  came  the  order,  and  the  army  moved  to  Cold 
Harbor.  Ten  thousand  men  from  General  Butler's  army  under  command 
of  General  W.  F.  Smith  re-enforced  the  army  of  Meade,  and  he  made  an 
advance  upon  the  enemy  in  front.  The  fight  here  on  June  3d  was 
bloody  and  short.  In  twenty  minutes  the  Union  army  lost  ten  thousand 
men  and  only  succeeded  in  holding  their  own  position.  The  line  of 
Lee's  arny  could  not  be  broken.  Other  attempts  to  force  the  lines 
the  next  day  met  with  similar  results,  but  all  the  while  the  Union 
forces  were  moving  by  the  left  flank  and  June  7th  rested  on  the  Chick- 
ahominy.  Sheridan  crossed  the  river  with  his  cavalry  and  tore  up  the 
railroads  and  bridges.  The  whole  army  moved  across  the  river  to  Lee's 
right  and  crossed  the  James  June  14th  and  15th.  Butler  made  an 
unsuccessful  attempt  to  take  Petersburg  before  aid  could  arrive  from 
Richmond.    The   failure  to   accomplish   this   disarranged   the   plans    some- 


le  Confederato 
ts  and  was  as 
nd  Lee  made 
While  thts.j 
_,ee's  rear  with 
of  Richnioiul, 
1  was  in  the 
rket  May  15th, 

left    Fortress 
^ed  by  Admiral 
:s  of    the    river 
1  men,  who  had 
James  opposite 
'ere  few  Confcd- 
tendcd    to    cut 
)tmcr  city  could 
t   accomplished, 
lere    to    aid    in 
d  was  destroyed, 
ht,   and   after  a 
:  same  instant  a 
there  was  much 


1865] 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


353 


what,  and  caused  the  long  and  exhaustive  siege  of  both  cities  which 
lasted  for  ten  months.  Grant  established  his  head-quarters  at  City  Point, 
and  on  the  i6th  preparations  were  made  to  carry  the  city  of  Petersburg 
by  assault.  Warren,  Hancock  and  Burnsidc  made  a  desperate  attack  on 
the  lines  here,  but  it  was  evident  that  the  whole  army  of  Lee  was  south 
of  the  James.  The  assaults  of  the  Union  army  on  the  17th  and  i8tli 
of  June  resulted  in  some  advantage  to  the  Nationalists,  but  it  was 
plain  that  the  time  to  take  Petersburg  by  direct  advance  was  past.  An 
attempt  was  now  made  on  the  right  of  the  Confederate  army  to  cut 
the  Weldon  Railroad  and  turn  his  flank.  The  railroad  was  destroyed  as 
far  as  Ream's  Station.  The  besieging  lines  of  Meade's  and  Butler's  army 
extended  from  Bermuda  Hundred  to  the  Weldon  Railroad  around  Petersburg 
and  Richmond.  A  disastrous  attempt  to  break  the  Confederate  lines  at 
Petersburg  was  made  on  the  30th  of  July  by  exploding  a  mine  under 
a  fort  on  the  outpost  of  the  line.  This  proved  a  heavy  disaster  to  the 
Union  army,  in  which  five  thousand  troops  were  lost  and  no  advantage 
gained.  September  29th  Butler  stormed  and  carried  the  strongest  works 
on  Lee's  left,  known  as  Fort  Harrison.  On  October  27th  an  attempt  was 
made  to  extend  the  Union  lines  to  Hatcher's  Run,  but  after  heavy 
fighting  the  Federal  troops  were  obliged  to  retire  to  their  fortifications  in 
front  of  Petersburg.  Here  they  settled  down  for  a  winter's  siege  of 
that  city.  From  the  opening  of  the  campaign  in  May  to  the  ist  of  November 
the  Nationalists  had  lost  in  killed,  wounded,  prisoners  and  missing,  the 
enormous   number  of   one   hundred   thousand  men. 

There  were  exciting  times  up  the  Shenandoah  Valley  in  the  summer 
and  early  fall  of  this  year.  A  Union  army  had  encountered  a  Confederate 
force  at  Winchester  July  20th  and  defeated  it,  taking  many  prisoners 
and  supplies.  Early  was  in  full  force  up  the  valley,  and  so  sanguine  was 
he  that  an  invading  force  of  cavalry  swept  through  Maryland  and  burned 
the  city  of  Chambersburg,  Pennsylvania.  Sheridan  was  sent  into  the 
valley  with  thirty  thousand  troops  to  repel  the  invaders.  By  a  series 
of  the  most  brilliant  and  dashing  operations  and  unexpected  movements, 
Sheridan  sent  the  Confederates  "  whirling  up  the  valley."  Then  there 
came  another  battle  at  Winchester,  in  which  Early  was  driven  to  his 
strong  position  at  Fisher's  Hill  September  19th.  He  was  forced  from  the 
new  position  the  21st  and  fled  to  the  mountains.  Early  had  less  than 
one-half  the  men  now  that  came  with  him  into  the  yalley.  Sheridan 
had  his  position  at  Cedar  Creek  near  Strasburg,  and  Early,  who  had  been 
re-enforced  heavily,  now  came  with  crushing  effect  upon  the  Union  army  at  a 
time  "  when  Sheridan  was  twenty  miles  away."  The  lines  were  driven  back 
in  great  confusion.  The  Eleventh  Corps  were  not  able  to  withstand  the 
fierce  onslaught  of  Early's  men.  Sheridan  hastened  to  the  scene  of  battle, 
reformed  the  broken  lines,  and  riding  along  the  regiments  and  brigades 
with  cheers  encouraged  his  men  to  victory,  regained  the  lost  ground,  and 
swept  the    Confederates   in    hopeless  flight   up    the    Shenandoah.     Early's 


Ml 

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cl'jffii' 


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Mm, 


3S4 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


[1861 


i! 


army  was  nearly  annihilated  and  Lee  could  spare  no  more  men.  This 
ended  the  contest  for  the  fertile  valley  which  had  been  overrun  so  often 
by  the  opposing  forces — Sheridan  had  burned  and  destroyed  on  every  hand 
— such  was  the  stem  necessity  of  war — and  the  Confederates  could  no 
more  gain  the  abundant  supplies  that  they  found  in  the  rich  valley, 
which  for  years  had   been   the   store-house  of  their  armies. 

The  beginning  of  May,  when  General  Grant  ordered  the  two  great 
armies  to  move,  Sherman  was  at  Chattanooga  with  about  one  hundred 
thousand  men.  His  antagonist  was  General  Johnston,  with  fifty-five 
thousand  troops,  who  was  at  Dalton  strongly  intrenched.  Sherman's  plan 
was  to  move  by  the  left  flank  and  compel  the  Confederates  to  abandon  one 
strong  position  after  another  in  order  to  save  their  army.  A  sharp  iiglit 
took  place  at  Resaca  Station  May  15th,  which  drove  Johnston  across  the 
Oostenaula.  The  Union  army  closely  followed  in  three  divisions.  At 
Adairsville,  Johnston  made  a  stand,  but  when  the  Federals  advanced  he 
pushed  on  and  fortified  a  position  commanding  the  Altoona  Pass.  After 
resting  a  little  Sherman  moved  forward  to  the  right,  and  had  a  severe  contest 
May  25th.  This  was  a  drawn  battle,  without  advantage  to  either  side.  June 
1st,  Johnston  was  forced  to  abandon  the  Altoona  Pass.  Sherman  took 
possession  of  this  and  made  it  a  second  base  of  supplies  by  repairing  the 
railroad  to  Chattanooga.  He  here  received  reinforcements.  June  9th  he 
took  possession  of  Big  Shanty,  and  by  persistency  and  frequent  fighting 
forced  Johnston  to  give  up  Pine  Mountain  June  15th,  Lost  Mountain  June 
17th,  and  Kenesaw  Mountain  July  2d.  On  the  morning  of  July  3d,  the 
stars  and  stripes  waved  over  the  last  mentioned  mountain,  and  Sherman  rode 
in  triumph  into  Marietta,  close  upon  the  heels  of  Johnston's  army.  The 
Confederates  succeeded  in  crossing  the  river  here  before  Sherman  could  give 
them  a  crushing  blow.  Johnston  was  obliged  to  retreat  July  loth,  toward 
Atlanta,  Georgia.  He  fortified  his  army  on  a  line  covering  that  town  from 
the  Chattahooche  River  to  Peachtree  Creek.  He  knew  that  his  force  was 
less  than  that  of  the  Nationals,  and  therefore  he  preferred  to  save  his  army 
rather  than  risk  an  engagement.  He  had  already  had  a  number  of  severe 
encounters,  and  had  been  worsted  in  them  all.  General  Johnston  was  here 
relieved  of  the  command  of  the  Confederate  army,  and  superseded  by 
General  Hood.  The  former  was  a  cautious,  scientific  soldier,  while  the  latter 
was  a  dashing,  reckless  ofiicer,  who  did  not  care  for  the  loss  of  men  if  he 
could  make  quick  work.  July  i6th,  General  Rousseau,  with  two  thousand 
cavalry,  joined  Sherman.  On  the  19th,  all  the  Union  forces  were  across  the 
river.  A  flank  movement  was  made  to  cut  the  railroad  leading  to  Augusta. 
This  was  accomplished.  On  the  20th,  Hood  attacked  the  weakened  lines  in 
front,  but  was  repulsed  with  heavy  loss.  On  the  22d,  the  Confederate  lines 
on  the  heights  about  Peachtree  Creek  were  abandoned,  and  Sherman  thought 
that  Hood,  like  Johnston  had  evacuated  the  city,  and  consequently  moved 
his  army  rapidly  toward  Atlanta.  He  found  Hood  in  a  strong  line  of 
works  near  the  city,  which  had  been  built  the  year  before.     Preparations 


i86s] 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


3SS 


were  made  for  carrying  the  city  by  assault,  when  a  large  part  of  Hood's 
army,  which  had  come  around  Sherman's  rear  in  the  night,  fell  upon  him,  and 
a  most  sanguinary  and  hotly  contested  battle  raged  for  four  hours.  The 
Union  army  was  successful,  and  the  Confederates  were  driven  back  to  their 
breastworks.  July  28th,  Hood  made  another  attack  upon  Sherman  but  was 
repulsed  with  heavy  loss,  and  seeing  that  the  Unionists  were  gradually 
(jetting  possession  of  all  the  railroads  leading  from  the  city,  after  a  month 
of  counter  maneuvering  the  Confederate  general  abandoned  Atlanta,  having 
destroyed  all  factories,  warehouses  and  whatever  would  be  of  advantage  to 
the  enemy.  He  left  no  food  for  the  inhabitants,  who  were  on  the  point  of 
starvation.  Sherman  took  possession,  and  not  being  able  to  feed  the 
citizens  and  his  own  army,  humanely  ordered  all  non-combatants  to  leave 
the  city,  either  for  the  North  or  South,  as  they  might  choose.  He  furnished 
transportation  for  all  who  wished  to  go  to  Chattanooga. 

Hood,  after  leaving  Atlanta,  moved  upon  Sherman's  base  of  supplies  at 
Altoona  Pass,  and  threatened  the  small  force  there.  Sherman  sent  to 
their  assistance,  and  drove  the  army  of  Hood  with  great  slaughter.  Then 
he  returned  to  Atlanta  with  all  his  troops,  destroying  all  foundries, 
dismantling  the  railroads,  and  preparing  to  cut  loose  from  his  base  of 
supplies.  His  army  numbered  sixty-five  thousand  men  of  all  kinds.  He 
cut  the  wires  which  connected  him  with  the  North,  and  started  on  his  grand 
march  to  the  sea.  The  people  in  the  North  did  not  hear  from  him  for  some 
time  except  through  the  newspapers  of  the  South,  and  this  was  far  from 
being  reliable.  His  army  was  divided  into  two  great  columns;  one  under 
General  O.  O.  Howard,  the  other  under  General  W.  H.  Slocum,  with  the 
cavalry  in  command  of  General  Kilpatrick.  Nothing  was  heard  from  this 
army  until  December  13th,  when  it  appeared  before  Savannah  and  captured 
Fort  McAllister,  on  the  Ogeechee  River,  not  far  from  that  city.  Savannah 
was  invested  at  once,  and  on  the  20th,  Hardee  evacuated  it  and  fled  to 
Charleston  with  fifty  thousand  troops.  The  army  of  Georgia  entered  the 
city  the  next  day  and  there  rested,  after  a  march  of  two  hundred  and  fifty- 
five  miles,  inflicting  very  heavy  loss  upon  the  Confederates  and  sustaining 
but  little  loss  in  return. 

Some  active  measures  were  going  on  in  Florida  and  North  Carolina 
during  this  time,  but  the  most  interest  was  centered  upon  the  two  grand 
armies.  In  September  and  October  there  were  some  interesting  events,  and 
after  considerable  skirmishing  on  both  sides  there  was  a  general  engagement 
at  Franklin,  in  which  the  Confederate  forces  at  first  drove  their  antagonists 
from  their  breastworks,  and  were  in  turn  driven  back.  Hood  the 
Confederate  general,  lost  three  thousand  men.  On  the  15th  of  December, 
a  desperate  battle  was  fought  in  front  of  Nashville,  where  Hood  was 
besieging  Scofield.  The  attack  was  opened  by  General  Thomas,  who  drove 
the  Confederates  from  their  works  and  pursued  them  out  of  the  State.  The 
campaign  ended  with  complete  success  for  the  Union  army. 

The  Anglo-Confederate  privateers  were  doing  immense  damage  to  our 


^ 


•I  'I 


« ■; 


:& 


!     .1' 


l',< 


•M 


■'■■'1 


H 


Si  '  ill 


Pli':    ^    H 


356 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


[1861 


U  t 


commerce  in  all  paits  of  the  'world.  The  first  and  chief  was  the  Alabama,  in 
command  of  a  former  United  States  navy  officer,  Captain  Raphael  Semmes. 
The  English  also  built  for  the  Confederates  the  Florida,  Georgia, 
Tallahassee,  Olustee  and  Chickatnauga,  all  of  which  were  committing  great 
depredations  upon  ihe  vessels  and  cargoes  of  American  ship-owners.  This 
drove  a  large  part  of  our  maritime  commerce  to  seek  the  protection  of  foreig:, 
flr.gs.  A  stupendous  effort  was  made  to  capture  and  destroy  these  cruisers, 
f  s  Georgia  was  captured  off  the  coast  of  Lisbon  in  August,  1864,  by  the 
United  States  vessel  Niagara;  the  Florida  by  the  Wachusett,  October  7th,  in 
a  port  of  Brazil.  The  Alabama  had  been  sunk  some  time  before  this  by  the 
Kearsarge.  Captain  Semmes  was  rescued  from  capture  by  a  British  vessel 
which  was  conveniently  near  at  hand,  but  the  "common  people"  were  left  to 
drown  or  be  picked  up  by  the  American  vessel  and  a  Frenchman.  This  had 
occurrt  i  Sunday  Juno,  19th. 

Admiral  Farragut  had  captured  the  port  of  Mobile  with  a  fleet  of 
eighteen  vessels  aided  by  a  land  force  under  General  Gordon  Granger.  This 
fleet  passed  between  the  two  forts,  Morgan  and  Gaines,  lashed  together  in 
pairs,  August  5th,  1864.  It  was  in  this  engagement  that  the  brave  admiral 
was  lashed  to  the  rigging  of  his  flag-ship.  Tlit  Confederate  ram  Tennessee 
was  destroyed  and  a  complete  victory  gained.  The  forts  were  surrendered 
after  cannonading  and  siege.  Fort  Gaines  on  the  7th  and  Fort  Morgan 
on  the  23d  of  August.    The  port  of  Mobile  was  closed. 

We  will  turn  for  a  brief  space  from  the  consideration  of  military  to 
political  affairs.  The  National  Republican  par  y  had  met  in  a  convention  at 
Baltimore,  in  June,  and  nominated  Mr.  Lincoln  for  re-election,  affirmed  its 
determination  to  maintain  the  Union  and  the  policy  of  his  government,  and 
pledged  themselves  to  sustain  it  to  the  end.  Andrew  Johnson  was 
nominated  for  the  Vice-Presiden':y. 

August  29th  the  opposition  party,  or  "  Democratic,"  as  it  was  called,  opened 
at  Chicago,  and  displayed  an  intense  anti-war  feeling.  George  B.  McClellan 
was  nominated  for  the  Presidency  and  George  H.  Pendleton  for  Vice- 
President.  The  resolution  that  declared  the  war  a  failure  was  scarcely  dry 
upon  the  paper  before  *ke  people  of  the  United  Sliites  were  called  to  devote 
a  day  to  thanksgiving  anc  praise  for  the  glorious  victories  of  Sherman 
and  Faixagut.  The  electicr.  resulted  in  the  most  overwhelming  majorities 
for  Lincoln  and  Johnson.  Only  the  three  States  of  Delaware,  Kentucky 
and  New  Jersey  gave  their  vcte3  to  the  oppositioiu 


[i86i 

,s  the  Alabama,  in        ] 
Raphael  Semmes.        | 
Florida,    Georgia, 
committing  great        ] 
ihip-owners.    This 
3tection  of  foreig'w 
:roy  these  cruisers, 
just,  1864,  by  the 
5/,  October  7th,  in 
before  this  by  the 
)y  a  British   vessel 
eople  "  were  left  to 
nchman.    This  had 

lie  with  a  fleet  of 
don  Granger.  This 
.lashed  together  in 
the  brave  admiral 
irate  ram  Tennessee 
tswere  surrendered 
I  and  Fort   Morgan 

ration  of  military  to 

et  in  a  convention  at 

lection,  affirmed  its 

lis  government,  and 

drew    Johnson    was 

5  it  was  called,  opened 
George  B.  McClellan 
Pendleton  for  Vice- 
ire  was  scarcely  dry 
were  called  to  devote 
ctories  of  Sherman 
whelming  majorities 
Delaware,  Kentucky 


1865] 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


357 


THE  CLOSING  EVENTS  OF  THE  WAR-1865. 

■HE  year  that  saw  the  closing  operations  of  the  civil 
strife  had  come,  and  General  Sherman,  after  giving  his 
gallant  army  a  rest  of  more  than  a  month,  started  for  a 
march  into  the  interior.  On  the  17th  of  February,  1865, 
he  captured  Columbia,  the  capital  of  South  Carolina. 
Wade  Hampton  had  ordered  all  the  cotton  in  that  city 
to  be  piled  in  the  public  square  and  burned.  In  the 
11^  severe  gale  which  was  then  blowing  the  city  was  set  on  fire  and 
destroyed  in  part.  Sherman  had  now  flanked  the  city  of 
Charleston,  which  so  long  had  withstood  the  most  persistent 
siege,  and  in  consequence  the  Confederates  abandoned  it. 
Hardee  fled  from  the  city  and  the  United  States  colored  troops 
marched  in  and  raised  the  stars  and  stripes  upon  the  public 
buildings  February  19th.  Sherman  pressed  onward  to  North 
Carolina,  leaving  a  track  of  destruction  forty  miles  wide,  until 
he  came  to  Fayetteville,  March  12th,  where  he  found  the 
concentrated  forces  under  Johnston,  numbering  forty  thousand. 
Sherman  here  halted  three  days  for  rest.  After  destroying  the  Confederate 
armory  and  the  military  stores,  he  marched  on  in  two  columns,  as  when  in 
Geo  i.'a.  The  column  under  Slocum  had  a  severe  fight  with  Hardee's  force 
of  twenty  thousand  men,  and  won  the  victory  March  i6th.  Slocum  marched 
on  toward  Goldsboro',  and  was  attacked  by  Johnston,  whom  he  repulsed  near 
Bentonville  March  i8th.  Johnston  had  fully  expected  to  crush  Slocum 
before  the  main  body  could  come  to  his  aid,  but  that  commander  held  his 
ground  firmly,  and  after  six  desperate  attempts  to  drive  him  back,  Johnston 
gave  up  the  contest  at  night  fall.  The  next  morning,  the  19th,  there  were 
sixty  thousand  Federals  in  front  of  Johnston,  who  retreated.  Sherman's 
whole  army  then  reached  Goldsboro*,  the  point  for  which  they  had  started. 
Sherman  then  hastened  to  City  Point  to  confer  with  Grant  and  Meade,  and 
returned  to  his  command  three  days  later.  Here  we  will  leave  him  for  a 
while. 

After  closing  the  port  of  Mobile,  the  only  port  left  to  which  the  blockade 
runners  could  gain  access  was  Wilmington,  North  Carolina.  A  movement  was 
made  in  December,  1864.  Admiral  D.  D.  Porter  was  in  command  of  the 
fleet,  and  General  Butler,  the  commander  of  that  department,  accompanied  it. 
After  various  attempts  the  expedition  was  successful  and  took  possession  of 
the  city.  The  Confederates  had  abandoned  Fort  Anderson,  destroyed  the 
privateers  Tallahassee  and  Cliickamauc^a,  lying  in  port,  burned  a  vast 
amount  of  cotton  and  naval  stores,  and  fled  from  the  city  February  22d, 
3865.  In  the  Gulf  Department  the  fleet  under  Farragut  had  prepared  the 
way  for  the  fall  of  Mobile,  which  was  accomplished  April  2d.  1865,     What 


m  . ' 


'i.  ■ 


■.      i 


,;.;rja.:f 


35« 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


I1861 


were  the  army  of  the  Potomac  and  General  Lee's  forces  doing  all  this  while  ? 
Let  us  see. 

Grant  was  holding  Petersburg  and  Richmond  in  a  vise-like  grip,  which 
prevented  Lee  from  going  to  the  assistance  of  Johnston.  He  dared  not  send 
him  any  men,  for  in  so  doing  he  would  weaken  the  defense  of  the  Confederate 
capital.  The  besieges  were  pounding  away  with  solid  shot,  and  mortar 
shells  upon  the  fortifications  around  the  doomed  cities,  and  daily  extending 
the  cordon  around  them,  and  cutting  one  after  another  of  the  railroads  which 
fed  them  from  the  south.  About  the  end  of  February,  Sheridan  with  ten 
thousand  cavalry  left  their  head-quarters,  and  sweeping  around  Lee's  flank 
scattered  the  forces  under  Early  from  Staunton  March  2d,  and  destroyed  the 
Lynchburg  Railroad  as  far  as  Charlotteville.  Then  dividing  into  two  columns, 
one  to  destroy  the  railroad  further  up  and  the  other  to  destroy  the  James 
River  Canal,  accomplishing  this,  he  swept  around  Lee's  left  and  joined  the 
army  of  the  Potomac  March  27th. 

Lee  now  made  a  desperate  attempt  to  break  through  Grant's  lines  and 
join  Johnston.  A  most  desperate  assault  was  made  March  27th  upon  Fort 
Steadman,  in  front  of  Petersburg,  held  by  the  Ninth  Corps.  The  Con- 
federates captured  the  fort  and  held  it  about  four  hours :  then  it  was 
recaptured  by  the  Federals,  and  Lee's  last  chance  to  break  the  Union  lines 
was  gone.  The  Union  troops  were  nearer  the  city  at  night  than  when  the 
attack  was  made  in  the  morning.  A  grand  movement  was  begun  on  March 
29th  by  General  Sheridan  with  ten  thousand  cavalry,  the  Fifth  Corps  under 
Warren,  and  the  Second  under  Hancock,  while  the  Ninth,  under  Parke,  held 
the  long  line  of  breast  works.  Lee  sa  ^  his  peril  and  made  great  haste  to 
avert  it  if  possible,  but  his  army  was  disheartened  by  the  hard  work  of  the 
winter,  the  want  of  supplies,  and  the  loss  of  all  hope.  A  heavy  fight  ensiu  d 
at  Five  Forks,  in  which  Sheridan  was  forced  back  on  Dinwiddle  Court  House, 
but  held  his  ground,  April  ist,  1865.  On  the  evening  of  the  same  day  a 
continuous  and  concentrated  cannonade  was  opened  upon  Petersburg  all 
along  the  line,  and  at  early  dawn  of  the  2d  a  part  of  the  works  were  carried, 
The  left  had  been  successful,  and  when  General  Longstreet  came  down  from 
Richmond  to  aid  Lee  he  was  too  late  to  be  of  any  service.  Lee  sent  word 
to  President  Davis :  "  My  lines  are  broken  in  three  places ;  we  can  hold 
Petersburg  no  longer:  Richmond  must  be  evacuated  this  evening."  Davis 
and  his  cabinet  fled  to  Dansville,  where  Lee  hoped  to  join  him,  but  Sheridan 
'"as  in  the  way  at  Amelia  Court  House.  Lee  endeavored  to  escape  and  did 
some  heavy  fighting  in  the  desperation  of  despair,  but  on  the  9th  of  April, 
after  one  final  charge  to  break  the  Federal  lines  at  Appomatox  Court  House, 
he  sent  a  flag  of  truce  with  an  oiTer  of  surrender.  Grant  and  Lee  met  under 
an  apple  tree  on  the  grounds  of  W.  McLean  to  make  generous  terms  of 
surrender. 

Mr.  Lincoln  went  to  Richmond  April  4th,  and  was  enthusiastically 
received  by  all  classes,  the  officers  high  in  rank,  and  the  poor  colored  men, 
and  then  returned  to  Washington  happy  that  the  cruel  war  was  over.    On  the 


[i86i 
ill  this  while? 

ke  grip,  which 
lared  not  send 
he  Confederate 
)t,  and  mortar 
daily  extending 
railroads  which 
iridan  with  ten 
and  Lee's  flank 
d  destroyed  the 
ito  two  columns, 
;troy  the  James 
and  joined  the 

grant's  lines  and 
h  27th  upon  Fort 
:orps.    The  Con- 
s:    then    it    was 
k  the  Union  lines 
It  than  when  the 
begun  on  March 
'ifth  Corps  under 
inder  Parke,  held 
le  great  haste  to 
hard  work  of  the 
leavy  fight  ensiu  d 
[die  Court  House, 
I   the  same  day  a 
on   Petersburg  all 
■orks  were  carried, 
came  down  from 
Lee  sent  word 
ices ;  we  can  hold 
,  evening."     Davis 
.him,  but  Sheridan 
to  escape  and  did 
.  the  9th  of  April, 
itox  Court  House, 
id  Lee  met  under 
generous  terms  of 

Us  enthusiastically 
[poor  colored  men, 
'  was  over.    On  the 


1865] 


THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


359 


evening  of  the  14th,  while  the  patient  man  who  had  endured  the  most  fearful 
strain  of  these  anxious  years,  was  quietly  sitting  in  a  private  box  in  a  public 
place  of  amusement,  he  was  shot  by  an  assassin,  who  entered  from  behind  and 
deliberately  aimed   his   revolver  at   his  unsuspecting  victim.     John   Wilkes 
Booth,   a  play   actor  of   moderate  ability,  and  a  warm  secessionist,  was  the 
actor    in    this    diabolical    crime.    The    Confederate    government   were    not 
responsible  for  the  act,  much  less  the  brave  men  who  had  contested  so  many 
hard  fought  battles  with  the  North.     No  man  was  found  to  openly  applaud 
the  act  save  here  and  there  a  solitary  voice  in  the  North,  which  was  quickly 
hushed  by  the  intense  popular  excitement  of    the  times.    Andrew  Johnson 
took  the  oath  of   President  April  15,    1865,  and  entered  at  once  upon  the 
discharge  of   his  duties.      After  some  active  operations  in  North  Carolina 
Johnston  asked  for  an  armistice,  proposing  to  refer  the  matter  of  settlement 
of  grievances  to  General  Grant.     The  armistice  was  granted  the  14th  day  of 
April,  but  the  idea  that  the  defeated  chieftain  should  dictate  terms  caused 
Grant  to  order  a  resumption  of  hostilities  on  the  26th.     This  was  followed  by 
the  surrender  of  Johnston  on  the  same  generous  terms  that  had  been  given 
General  Lee.     The  fugitive  President  of   the  Confederacy  was  captured  at 
Irwinsville,  Georgia,  May  nth,  and  sent  to  Fortress  Monroe,  and  there  he  was 
treated  with  marked  kindness,  u  itil  he  was  released  under  bail  placed  at  one 
million  dollars. 

Lieutenant-Gcncral  Grant  issued  a  patriotic  and  thrilling  farewell  address 
to  the  "  Soldiers  of  the  Armies  of  the  United  States,"  June  2d,  1865.  The 
military  prisons,  where  tens  of  thousands  of  Confederate  prisoners  of  war 
were  held  for  exchange,  were  opened  and  the  men  were  sent  to  their  homes 
at  Government  expense.  The  millions  of  liberated  blacks  were  cared  for  by 
Government,  and  the  nation,  happy  that  peace  had  again  dawned  upon  the 
distracted  country,  were  loud  in  their  demonstrations  of  joy. 

The  most  brilliant  pageantry  of  modern  times  was  held  in  Washington, 
consisting  of  a  grand  review  of  the  Union  armies  of  the  Potomac  and  of 
the  ^ames,  and  of  Sherman's  army.  This  lasted  two  days,  and  then  the 
task  of  disbanding  the  mighty  Union  army  began.  The  rolls  were  made 
out,  the  arms  were  stacked,  the  artillery  parked,  and  flags  were  furled.  In 
an  incredibly  short  time  the  hundreds  of  thousands  of  boys  in  blue  had 
donned  the  garb  of  private  citizens  and  returned  to  the  avocations  of  peace. 
The  great  work  of  putting  down  armed  resistance  to  the  Government  had 
been  accomplished,  and  now  the  peaceful  question  of  regulating  the 
commercial,  political  and  social  relations  of  the  States  late  in  arms  would 
be  settled  in  the  halls  of  Congress. 


I 

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RECONSTROGTION  AND  PROGRESS. 

ADMINISTRATION  OF  ANDREW  JOHNSON. 


HAT  was  the  position  of  these  States  which  had 
passed  the  ordinance  of  secession?  The  war  had 
closed,  but  it  had  been  maintained  by  the  North  that 
the  Stites  were  all  the  while  an  integral  part  of  the 
Union  and  had  no  power  to  dissolve  their  allegiance 
to  it.  What  was  to  be  done  ?  Should  their  territory 
be  held  as  if  it  had  been  conquered  from  a  foe? 
They  had  endeavored  to  sever  the  bonds  that  bound  them  to  the 
Government  but  had  been  prevented  by  the  firm  hand  of  armed 
law.  They  now  claimed  the  right  to  resume  their  old  places  in 
Congress  as  if  they  had  never  attempted  to  secede.  What  should 
be  done?  The  Proclamation  of  Emancipation  had  given  freedom 
only  to  those  slaves  whose  masters  were  in  arms  on  the  first  day 
of  January,  1863.  There  were  many  others  whose  owners  could 
hold  them  under  that  proclamation,  but  many  of  the  slave  States 
removed  this  impediment  of  their  own  account.  Louisiana,  Maryland, 
Tennessee,  Missouri  and  Arkansas  had  abolished  it  within  their  borders. 
An  amendment  to  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  had  been  submitted 
to  the  several  States  and  adopted,  in  1865,  by  more  than  the  required 
number  to  make  it  a  part  of  that  instrument. 

Another  amendment  was  submitted  to  the  States,  giving  the  fullest 
rights  of  American  citizenship  to  all  natural-born  citizens  and  naturalized 
citizens  of  the  United  States.  This  was  made  the  condition  for  the  restora- 
tion of  rights  to  those  men  who  were  seeking  to  return  to  their  old  position 
of  citizenship.  The  questions  growing  out  of  all  this  were  most  delicate. 
and  required  the  careful  consideration  of  patriots ;  but  the  institution  which 
had  caused  all  the  controversy  of  the  past,  all  the  bloodshed  and  ruin  which 
had  come  to  both  sections  of  the  country,  must  be  thoroughly  eradicated 
now,  and  leave  no  seeds  to  spring  up  in  after  years.  So  the  men  who  had 
won  the  fight  thought,  and  the  men  who  had  yielded  "  to  the  stern  necessity 
of  war  "  came  to  accept  the  situation  with  what  grace  they  could,  and  slowly 
the  work  went  on  to  its  completion. 

April  29th,  1865,  President  Johnson  issued  a  proclamation  removing 
certain  restrictions  on  commercial  intercourse  with  the  Southern  States. 
May  20th,  provisional  governors  were  appointed  for  the  States  of  North 
Carolina,  South  Carolina,  Georgia,  Alabama,  Mississippi,  and  Texas.  The 
order  for  rescinding  the  blockade  was  issued  the  23d  of  June,  another  to  still 


1866] 


RECONSTRUCTION  AND  PROGRESS. 


361 


N. 


tcs  which   had 
The  war  had 
the  North  that 
rral  part  of  the 
their  allegiance 
i  their  territory 
•ed  from  a  foe? 
od  them  to  the 
hand  of  armed 
:ir  old  places  in 
e.    What  should 
d  given  freedom 
on  the  first  day 
se  owners  could 
the  slave    States 
iiana,    Maryland, 
lin  their  borders, 
d  been  submitted 
lan  the   required 

;iving  the   fullest 
and  naturalized 

In  for  the  restora- 
:heir  old  position 
;re  most  delicate, 
institution  which 
Id  and  ruin  which 
jughly  eradicated 
phe  men  who  had 
le  stern  necessity 
[could,  and  slowly 

limation  removing 

Southern    States. 

States  of  North 

ind  Texas.     The 

[ne,  another  to  still 


further  remove  the  restriction  on  inter-state  commerce  August  29th.  State 
prisoners  were  released  October  12th.  Tne  "habeas  corpus"  was  restored 
December  ist. 

The  provisional  governors  in  the  States,  who  were  zealous  to  do  all  that 
could  be  done  to  reorganize  their  States,  called  conventions  of  delegates, 
chosen  by  citizens,  who  could  take  the  oath  required  by  the  act  of  Congress. 
Before  the  session  of  Congress  had  met  in  December  five  States  had  ratified 
the  proposed  amendment  to  the  Constitution,  formed  new  State  Constitutions, 
and  provided  for  Representatives  to  Congress. 

When  Congress  met  there  arose  at  once  a  conflict  between  the  President 
and  the  Legislative  Department.  This  breach  widened  until  it  became  an 
open  rupture.  The  Cabinet  resigned,  with  the  exception  of  the  Secretary  of 
War,  E.  M.  Stanton,  who  was  advised  to  remain  by  his  friends.  On  April 
2d,  1866,  the  Executive  issued  his  proclamation  declaring  that  the  civil  war 
was  at  an  end.     Tennessee  was  finally  restored  to  the  Union  July  23d. 

There  had  been  a  French  occupation  of  Mexico,  in  which  Maximillian 
had  assumed  to  be  emperor  of  that  country  during  the  years  of  the  war. 
On  the  5th  of  April,  1865,  our  Government  had  informed  the  French  Emperor 
that  the  continuation  of  the  French  troops  in  Mexico  was  objectionable,  and 
at  once  the  assurance  came  that  they  would  be  withdrawn.  Trouble  arose 
with  Great  Britain  over  the  Fenian  question,  but  it  was  peaceably  adjusted. 

The  elections  throughout  the  Northern  States  showed  that  the  people 
sustained  the  policy  of  Congress.  The  act  conferrinf^*  the  elective  franchise 
upon  all  citizens  in  the  District  of  Columbia  was  passed  December  14th. 
This  was  vetoed  by  the  President,  but  passed  over  his  veto  by  more  than  a 
two-thirus  vote  January  7th,  1867.  The  same  day  the  preliminary  steps 
were  taken  for  the  impeachment  of  Andrew  Johnson,  President  of  the  United 
States,  which  resulted  in  a  trial  before  the  Senate,  with  the  Chief  Justice 
presiding,  in  May,  1868. 

The  territory  of  Nebraska  was  admitted  into  the  Union  March  ist,  1867 
There  was  intense  excitement  over  several  bills  which  the  President  vetoed 
and  Congress  at  once  passed  over  his  veto.  The  thirty-ninth  Congress  closed 
its  session  March  3d  and  the  fortieth  Congress  met  at  once.  This  Congress 
adjourned  on  March  31st,  to  meet  on  the  first  Wednesday  in  July.  This  was 
done,  and  then  the  two  Houses  adjourned  July  20th,  to  meet  again  November 
2ist.  In  the  mean  time  the  President  attempted  to  remove  E.  M.  Stanton, 
Secretary  of  War,  who  refused  to  resign.  General  Grant  was  ordered  to 
assume  the  office,  which  he  did.  The  controversy  went  on  until  the  impeach- 
ment of  the  President,  and  the  trial  lasted  from  March  5th  to  April  26th, 
when  he  escaped  conviction  by  only  one  vote.  Two-thirds  of  all  the  votes 
cast  are  required  to  convict.  Every  member  was  present.  Thirty-five  voted 
guilty  and  nineteen  voted  not  guilty. 

The  Secretary  of  State  certified  to  the  fact  that  the  required  number  of 
States  had  adopted  the  amendment  to  the  Constitution  conferring  civil  rights 
upon  all  citizens,  without  regard  to  race  or  color. 


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362 


RECONSTRUCTION  AND  PROGRESS. 


[1869 


The  work  of  reorganization  was  completed  in  all  the  States  save  three, 
and  the  people  of  the  South  were  betaking  themselves  to  the  task  of 
retrieving  their  ruined  fortunes,  and  thus  comparative  quiet  was  restored. 

An  important  treaty  with  China  was  ratified  by  Congress  before  its 
adjournment.  The  Indian  question  had  caused  some  discussion,  and  an 
attempt  to  transfer  the  conduct  of  these  affairs  to  the  War  Department  failed. 

A  fifteenth  amendment  was  proposed  by  Congress  February  26th,  1869, 
and  submitted  to  the  States,  the  requisite  number  of  which  ratified  it  soon 
after. 

General  U.  S.  Grant  was  elected  President  of  the  United  States,  and 
Schuyler  Colfax  Vice-President,  at  the  election  of  1868,  and  on  the  4th  of 
March,  1869,  took  their  oaths  of  ofifice  and  entered  upon  the  discharge  of 
their  duties. 

ADMINISTRATION  OF  ULYSSES  S.  GRANT. 


RESIDENT  GRANT  entered  upon  the  task  of 
finishing  the  incomplete  work  of  reconstruction  at 
once,  and  sent  a  special  message  to  Congress  April 
7th,  1869,  in  which  he  urged  that  body  to  adopt 
and  maintain  such  measures  as  would  effectually 
secure  the  civil  and  political  rights  of  all  persona 
within  the  borders  of  the  States  not  yet  in  full 
relations  to  the  Union.  Both  the  Executive  and  Lcgisla- 
tive  Departments  took  every  means  in  their  power  consist- 
ent  with  the  provisions  of  the  amended  Constitution  to 
restore  the  people  who  were  not  yet  represented  in  the 
National  Congress  to  this  position.  This  was  finally  acconn- 
plished  in  1872,  when,  on  the  23d  day  of  May,  every  seat 
that  had  been  abdicated  in  1861  by  members  from  the  Southern 
States  was  filled  by  legally  elected  members.  May  22d  a 
general  Amnesty  Bill  was  passed  by  Congress,  removing  the 
disabilities  imposed  by  the  Fourteenth  Amendment  from  all 
persons,  with  the  exceptions  of  those  who  had  held  positions  in  the 
National  Government,  the  diplomatic  corps,  and  the  army  and  navy  of 
the  United  States  during  the  administration  of  James  Buchanan.  The 
political  unity  of  the  whole  country  was  now  established  by  law,  and 
the  rights  of  American  citizenship  conferred  upon  all  native  born  and 
naturalized  persons  within  the  borders  of  the  United  States,  with  the 
exception   of  the   comparative   few   mentioned   above. 

The  last  tie  which  completed  the  railroad  from  the  Atlantic  to  the 
Pacific  was  laid  May  10th,  1869,  and  marked  an  important  event  in 
the  social  and  commercial  life  of  the  United  States.  By  this  the  States 
on    the    eastern    sea-board    and    the    distant    Pa,cific    coast   were    brought 


[i869 

tes  save  three, 
3  the   task  of 
IS  restored. 
;ress  before  its 
ussion,  and  an 
(artment  failed, 
lary  26th,  1869, 
ratified  it  soon 

ed   States,  and 

on  the  4th  of 

the  discharge  of 


IRANI. 


n    the    task    of 
econstruction   at 
.   Congress  April 
body   to   adopt 
jou\d    effectually 
!   of    all   persona 
not   yet    in  full 
/e    and    Lcgisla. 
•    power   consist. 
Constitution    to 
resented    in    the 
IS  finally  accom- 
May,  every    seat 
om  the  Southern 
rs.     May    22d   a 
ss,  removing  the 
ndment   from  all 
lositions    in    the 
ly  and   navy  of 
Buchanan.    The 
ed   by   law,   and 
native  born  and 
States,  with    the 

Atlantic  to  tbe 

|)ortant    event    in 

this  the  States 

St   were    brought 


■8;;] 


RECONSTRUCTION  AND  PROGRESS. 


363 


together,  and  a  grand  highway  opened  to  communicate  with  the  over- 
land trade  from  China  and  Japan.  There  was  a  general  rejoicing  as  the 
last  spike  was  driven,  for  communication  was  made  with  the  entire 
telegraph  system  of  the  country,  and  the  blows  of  the  hammer  was 
recorded  in    thousands  of   offices   in   all   parts  of   the   land. 

A  gigantic  insurrection  arose  in  Cuba  with  which  many  citizens  of 
the  United  States  were  in  close  sympathy,  but  the  Government  wisely 
maintained  neutrality,  and  measures  were  taken  to  suppress  all  fillibus- 
tering.  A  number  of  gunboats  ordered  by  the  Spanish  Government  were 
detained  in  the  United  States  on  suspicion  that  they  were  to  be  used 
against  Peru.  They  were  n^lcased.  There  arose  quite  intense  excitement, 
and  war  was  threatened,  growing  out  of  the  seizure  of  the  steamship 
Virginius  in  Cuba  while  flying  the  American  flag,  under  the  belief  that 
she  was  bringing  arms  and  supplies  to  the  Cuban  insurgents.  A  number 
of  her  passengers  and  her  captain  were  shot  by  the  Spanish  authorities. 
The  whole  matter  was  finally  settled  by  diplomacy.  The  Virginius  was  sunk 
at  sea  while  being  conveyed  to  the  United  States  in  a  gale  off  Cape  Fear. 

There  was  a  violation  of  the  neutrality  laws  in  1870  by  a  large 
band  of  Irishmen  known  as  Fenians,  who  assembled  to  the  number  of 
three  thousand  on  the  borders  of  Canada  in  the  State  of  Vermont. 
They  invaded  that  province  with  the  intention  of  freeing  Ireland  by 
some  vague  plan.  The  two  governments  suppressed  the  trouble,  and  our 
adopted  Irish  citizens  have  not  since  then  attempted  to  violate  the 
neutrality   laws   in   force  between    the   two   countries. 

The  United  States  had  long  desired  some  territory  in  the  West 
Indies,  and  in  1869  a  treaty  was  made  with  Hayti  by  which  that  island 
was  to  be  annexed  to  the  United  States;  but  the  Senate  did  not  ratify 
it,  and  thus  the  movement  in  that  direction  ceased  to  be  a  government 
measure.  The  survey  of  a  proposed  inter-oceanic  canal  across  the  Isthmus 
of  Darien  was  made  by  an  exploration  under  Commander  Selfridge 
in   1870. 

The  year  1871  saw  two  of  the  most  destructive  fires,  amounting  to 
a  national  calamity,  that  ever  visited  this  country.  In  October  of  that 
year  the  greater  portion  of  Chicago  was  swept  by  the  flames,  which  raged 
for  forty-eight  hours  and  devastated  two  thousand  acres  of  territory  and 
destroyed  two  hundred  millions  of  property.  This  disaster  called  forth 
the  sympathy  and  material  aid  of  the  whole  civilized  and  commercial 
world.  The  next  month,  November,  the  fire-fi^nd  swept  away  the  very 
center  of   Boston,   destroying  seventy-five   millions   of   dollars. 

President  Grant  found  at  the  opening  of  his  first  term  the  question 
of  the  Alabama  claims  an  open  one  with  the  Er.glish  Government.  A 
joint  commission  was  proposed  by  the  United  States,  and  England  agreed. 
This  "joint  high  commission"  met  at  Washington  May  8th,  1871.  and 
completed  a  treaty,  referring  the  whole  matter  at  issue  to  a  court  of 
arbitration :   this    treaty   was  at    once    ratified   by  both    countries.     Ther* 


,4v 


n    r 


4 


I 


i 


364 


RECONSTRUCTION  AND  PROGRESS. 


[1869 


were  four  important  questions  involved :  1st.  The  settlement  of  all  claims 
by  either  government  growing  out  of  losses  sustained  during  the  Civil 
War.  2d.  The  permanent  settlement  of  the  American  coast  fisheries.  3d. 
The  free  navigation  of  certain  rivers,  including  the  St.  Lawrence,  and, 
4th.  The  settlement  of  the  boundary  between  Vancouver's  Island  and  the 
mainland  on  the  Pacific  coast.  The  first  question  was  referred  to  a 
tribunal  of  arbitration,  which  met  at  Geneva,  Switzerland,  December 
15th,  1 87 1,  and  adjourned  to  June  15th,  1872.  The  final  meeting  of  this 
tribunal  was  held  September  14th,  1872.  By  their  award  Great  Britain 
was  to  pay  to  the  United  States  the  sum  of  fifteen  million  five  hundred 
thousand  dollars  in  gold,  as  an  award  for  losses  sustained  by  the  depre- 
dations of  the  Alabama  and  other  British-built  privateers  during  the 
Civil  War.  The  money  was  paid  the  following  year.  The  fourth  ques- 
tion was  referred  to  the  Emperor  of  German/  who  decided  in  favor  of 
the  United  States,  giving  her  the  island  of  San  Juan,  which  had  been 
in  dispute. 

The  other  important  measures  and  events  of  General  Grant's  first 
term  were  the  adoption  of  weather  signals  by  the  means  of  the  Morse 
telegraph  under  control  of  the  National  Signal  Service.  This  has  proved 
of  inestimable  value  to  American  commerce  and  agriculture.  The 
apportionment  of  representatives  to  Congress,  by  which  there  was  one 
representative  to  every  one  hundred  and  thirty-seven  thousand  eight  hundred 
population,  making  two  hundred  and  eighty-three  members  in  all,  A 
new  pension  law  was  passed  in  aid  of  all  Union  soldiers  who  had 
suffered  the  loss  of  limbs  or  health  in  the  late  war.  Early  in  1873  the 
franking  privilege  was  abolished,  by  which  much  money  was  saved  to 
the  Post-Ofifice  Department.  In  1872  an  important  embassy  of  twenty- 
one  of^cials  of  the  Chinese  Government  visited  the  United  States,  and 
the  Grand  Duke  Alexis  of  Russia  also  came  to  this  country.  Steps 
were  taken  to  celebrate  the  centennial  anniversary  of  American  inde- 
pendence, which  would  occur  in  1876,  by  a  display  at  Philadelphia  of 
the   industries   of   all   nations. 

The  political  campaign  of  1872  was  begun  in  May  by  the  nomina- 
tion of  Horace  Greeley  for  President  and  B.  Gratz  Brown  for  Vice- 
President  by  a  convention  of  "liberal  Republicans."  The  Democratic 
party  coalesced  with  them  and  ratified  the  same  nominations  July  9th. 
The  Republicans  re-nominated  General  Grant  for  President  and  Henry 
Wilson  for  Vice-President  June  5th.  The  election  resulted  in  retaining 
General  Grant  for  a  second   term  and   making   Mr.  Wilson   Vice-President. 

The  relation  of  the  troublesome  Morman  question  to  the  general 
government  agitated  the  public  mind  to  some  extent  during  this  time. 
The  system  of  polygamy  was  strongly  intrenched  in  the  very  heart  of 
the  Continent,  and  a  petition  signed  by  twenty-five  hundred  women  in 
its  favor  was  presented  to  Congress.  The  elective  franchise  had  been 
given  to  the   female  sex,  and   out   of  a  large  vote  in   favor  of   a  State 


[1869 

t   of  all  claims 
iring  the    Civil 
t  fisheries.     3d. 
Lawrence,  and, 
Island  and  the 
referred    to  a 
and,    December 
meeting   of  this 
i   Great   Britain 
ion  five  hundred 
d  by  the  deprc- 
;ers    during    the 
he   fourth   ques- 
ided  in  favor  of 
which   had  been 

jral   Grant's    first 
IS   of    the  Morse 
This  has  proved 
igriculture.      The 
h    there   was   one 
nd  eight  hundred 
mbers  in    all.    A 
oldiers    who    had 
Early  in  1873  the 
:y  was    saved  to 
Ibassy   of    twenty- 
Inited   States,  and 
country.     Steps 
American    inde- 
It    Philadelphia  of 

by  the  nomina- 
[  Brown    for   Vice- 
The     Democratic 
knations  July   9*^- 
[ident   and    Henry 
^Ited  in    retaining 
m   Vice-President. 
to  the    general 
[during  this  time. 
Ithe  very  heart  of 
lundred  women  in 
lanchise    had  been 
favor  of   a  State 


1877] 


RECONSTRUCTION  AND  PROGRESS. 


365 


Constitution  nearly  one-half  were  cast  by  women.  There  had  been 
population  enough  in  Utah  for  some  time,  but  the  Congress  of  the 
United    States   refused   to   admit   her   with    the   .system    of   polygamy. 

The  second  term  of  General  Grant  as  President  began  March  4th,  1873, 
and  his  nominations  for  Cabinet  officers  was  at  once  confirmed  by  the  Senate. 
The  country  was  prosperous  and  rapidly  recuperating  from  the  sad  effects  of 
the  war.  The  improvement  in  the  feelings  between  the  South  and  North 
was  very  marked,  growing  out  of  the  leniency  with  which  the  Government 
treated  those  lately  in  arms  against  it. 

The  Indian  troubles  assumed  unusual  proportions  during  the  second  term 
of  Grant's  administration.  The  humane  policy  inaugurated  at  the  beginning 
of  his  first  term  had  not  resulted  in  all  that  was  hoped  for  it.  The  trouble 
.seemed  to  be  in  the  fact  that  the  Government  treated  the  tribes  of  Indians  as 
distinct  nations,  and  made  treaties  with  them,  appointed  agents  and  com- 
missioners, supplied  them  with  bounties  and  subsidies,  and  compelled  them 
to  remain  upon  reservations  set  apart  for  them.  The  men  who  were  acting 
as  Indian  agents  were  not  always  true  men,  and  caused  ill  feelinj^^s  on  the  part 
of  the  red  men.  Not  far  from  three  hundred  thousand  Indians  are  living  in 
the  States,  of  whom  ninety-seven  thousand  are  civilized  and  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  thousand  half  civilized.    The  remainder  are  in  a  savage  state. 

General  Custer  was  sent  into  the  Dakota  region  in   1874  with  a  military 

and  exploration  expedition,  and  gave  such  a  glowing  account  of  the  country  as 

to  excite  the  mining  population  to  enter  and  prospect  for  the  precious  metals 

in  great  numbers.      At  the  close  of  1874  a  bill  was  introduced  into  Congress 

'o  extinguish  as  much  of  the  title  to  the  Black  Hills  reservation  as  lay  within 

he  territory  of  Dakota.      This  greatly  irritated  the  chiefs  of  the  SiouX;   for 

■;hey,  with  great  show  of  justice,  regarded  it  as  a  step  toward  robbing  them 

of  their  lawful   domain.      A   national    geologist,  guarded  by  a  large  military 

escort,  went  to  this  region  early  in  1875,  and  the  Indians  began  preparations 

•'or  war.     A  strong  force  of  troops  was  sent  to  the  Yellowstone  early  in   1876. 

«nd  were  divided  into  three  divisions,  General  A.  H.  Terry  in  chief  command. 

The  three  columns  were  commanded  by  Generals  Terry,  Cooke  and  Gibbon, 

and  intended  to  form  the  meshes  of  a  net  into  which  they  expected  to  ensnare 

Sitting  Bull,  the  warlike  chief  of  the  Sioux.      General   Gibbon   had  a  fight 

with  the  Indians  June  17th,  in  which  he  was  obliged  to  fall  back.      General 

Custer,  with  General  Terry  and  his  staff,  joined  Gibbon  on  the  Yellowstone, 

near  Rise  Bub  Creek.     Custer  was  ordered  to  make  an  attack  with  his  force, 

which  consisted  of  the  Seventh    United   States  Cavalry.      He  and  Gibbon 

advanced  to  the  Big  Horn  River,  and  Custer,  coming  up  with  the  Indians  first, 

C[ave  them  battle  without  waiting  for   Gibbon,   and    falling  into   an    Indian 

ambush  was  killed,  with  the  greater  part  of  his  men.      Many  gallant  officers 

and  men  were  slain  in  this  terrible  encounter,  including  Custer  and  two  of  his 

brothers  and  a  brother-in-law. 

This  was  June  25th,  1876,  and  at  once  the  Government  sent  a  large  force 
to  this  region.      The  Sioux  evaded  a  contest  with  them  anti  the  troopo  went 


If. 


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,<■"  'ill 

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306 


RFXONSTRUCTION  AND  PROGRESS. 


[1869 


into  winter  quarters.      Sitting  Bull  with  his  followers  retired  to  the  British 
Possessions,  whither  the  United  States  troops  could  not  follow  him. 

The  Government  had  a  war  with  the  Nez-Perce  (or  nose-pierced)  Indians 
in  1875.  They  had  been  a  peaceable  and  friendly  tribe  since  the  time  of 
Jefferson,  when  the  early  explorers  had  come  to  their  country,  and  were  living 
happy  and  contented  in  the  fertile  Wallewa  Valley.  When  agents  were  first 
sent  to  them  they  had  been  a  little  dissatisfied,  but  there  had  been  no  out- 
break.  Now  the  settlers  had  begun  to  crowd  upon  them,  and  treaties  were 
made  with  a  part  of  the  tribe  to  remove  to  a  reservation,  upon  the  Govern- 
ment paying  them  a  certain  fixed  annuity.  But  an  old  chief,  by  the  name  of 
Joseph,  who  had  taken  no  part  in  the  treaty,  refused  to  leave,  and  in  1873 
Grant  had  ordered  that  they  should  not  be  molested.  When  the  avaricious 
whites  began  to  encroach  upon  the  domains  of  this  tribe  the  President  was 
induced  to  revoke  this  order,  and  in  1875  a  force  was  sent  to  compel 
them  to  move  at  a  given  time.  Before  the  time  came  Joseph  became 
incensed  at  the  encroachments  of  the  white  settlers  and  about  twenty  whites 
were  murdered.  War  was  begun,  and  lasted  until  the  Indians  were  forced 
again  to  make  a  humiliating  treaty  in  1877.  These  measures  embittered  that 
part  of  the  tribe  which  had  not  entered  the  war,  and  they  became  enemies  of 
the  Government. 

Sitting  Bull,  who  had  gone  to  the  British  Possessions  with  his  warriors  in 
1876,  was  an  unwelcome  guest  there,  but  he  remained  stubborn  and  sullen. 
The  United  States  sent  several  commissioners  to  treat  with  him,  but  he 
regarded  them  with  contempt  until  1 880.  The  British  authorities  had  informed 
him  that  if  he  attempted  to  cross  into  the  United  States  with  hostile  inten- 
tions  that  Government  would  join  with  the  United  States  in  making  war 
upon  him.  Finally  he  offered,  in  1880,  to  surrender  with  his  braves,  and  a 
thousand  of  them  did  so  in  the  early  part  of  1881,  but  their  wily  chieftain  did 
not  give  himself  up  until  some  time  later.  Colorado,  the  "  Centennial  State," 
was  admitted  into  the  Union  July  4th,  1876. 

The  year  1876  was  the  '•  centennial  year"  and  the  year  for  a  Presidential 
election.  The  celebration  of  the  new  year  was  very  general  throughout  the 
United  States  with  bonfires  and  the  ringing  of  bells  as  the  old  year  and 
century  passed.  The  events  of  the  political  arena  were  the  impeachment  of 
Mr.  Belknap,  Secretary  of  War,  for  maladministration  of  ofifice.  He  was 
acquitted  in  August.  A  resolution  for  submitting  another  amendment  to  the 
Constitution  was  passed  in  the  House,  but  defeated  in  the  Senate.  At  the 
end  of  June  a  resolution  to  provide  for  the  coinage  of  ten  millions  of  silver 
was  passed,  and  very  quickly  silver  became  plenty.  The  fractional  currency, 
v'hich  had  come  in  use  during  the  war,  at  once  disappeared  from  circulation. 
June  i6th  Rutherford  B.  Hayes  was  nominated  by  the  Republican  party  for 
the  Presidency  and  William  A.  Wheeler  for  Vice-President.  The  27th  of 
the  same  month  the  Democratic  party  nominated  Samuel  J.  Tilden  and 
Thomas  A.  Hendricks  for  the  same  offices  respe  jtively,  and  a  most  exciting 
^?invass  was  carried  on  until  November,  of  which  we  will  speak  hereafter. 


I  „I.J   \ 


[1869 

1  to  the  British 
him. 

icrced)  Indians 
ncc  the  time  of 
and  were  living 
rents  were  first 
i  been  no  out- 
id  treaties  were 
lon  the  Govern- 
by  the  name  of 
re,  and  in  1873 
1  the  avaricious 
le  President  was 
sent  to   compel 
Joseph  became 
jt  twenty  whites 
lians  were  forced 
i  embittered  that 
came  enemies  of 

th  his  warriors  in 
jborn  and  sullen, 
vith  him,  but  he 
ties  had  informed 
ith  hostile  inten- 
s  in  making  war 
his  braves,  and  a 
wily  chieftain  did 
;entennial  State," 

• 

for  a  Presidential 
throughout  the 

he  old  year  and 

c  impeachment  of 
office.      He  was 

imendment  to  the 
Senate.     At  the 

millions  of  silver 

actional  currency, 
from  circulation, 
lublican  party  for 
it.     The  27th  ol 

[uel  J.  Tilden  and 
.  a  most  exciting 
leak  hereafter. 


1877] 


RECONSTRUCTION  AND  PROGRESS. 


THE  CENTENNIAL  EXHIBITION. 


367 


'HERE  had  been  a  wide-spread  desire  to  celebrate  the 
centennial  year  in  some  way  in  which  all  nations  could 
rejoice  with  the  young  Republic  of  the  West.  It  was 
proposed  to  hold  a  gigantic  exposition  of  the  arts, 
manufactures  and  industries  of  all  nations  at  Phila- 
delphia. Invitations  were  sent  to  other  governments 
and  were  very  generally  accepted.  The  early  inception 
of  the  plan  was  opened  by  the  communication  of  the  Franklin 
Institute  to  the  Mayor  and  other  authorities  of  Philadelphia 
for  the  use  of  Fairmount  Park  for  an  international  exhibition. 
A  committee  of  seven  members  of  the  municipal  government 
proceeded  to  lay  the  subject  before  Congress.  At  the  same 
time  the  Legislature  of  Pennsylvania  sent  a  committee  to 
^1  Washington  for  the  same  purpose.  March  3d,  1871,  an  act 
was  passed  empowering  the  President  to  appoint  a  commission 
for  superintending  the  exhibition,  and  an  alternate  commission 
from  each  State  and  Territory  in  the  Union.  These  com. 
missions  met  at  Philadelphia,  March  4th,  1872,  and  found  twenty-four  States 
and  three  Territories  represented  there.  "The  United  States  Centennial 
Commission"  was  organized  by  the  choice  of  Joseph  R.  Hawley,  of  Con- 
necticut, as  president,  with  five  vice-presidents,  a  temporary  secretary,  an 
executive  committee  and  a  solicitor.  John  S.  Campbell  afterward  became 
permanent  secretary.  A  Centennial  Board  of  Finance  was  appointed 
in  1873,  and  on  the  4th  day  of  July  of  that  year  the  authorities  formally 
surrendered  the  grounds  to  the  commission. 

There  were  five  grand  buildi'vj-  orected,  the  Main  Building,  Art  Gallery, 
Machinery  Hall,  Agricultin-xl  Hall  and  Horticultural  Hall.  The  applications 
for  space  from  foreign  governments  was  so  great  that  it  was  seen  that  the 
work  done  by  women  would  be  thrown  out  or  lost  in  the  maze  of  other 
exhibits,  and  therefore  the  women  of  America  raised  thirty  thousand  dollars 
to  build  a  Woman's  Pavi''on.  The  first  five  buildings  named  covered,  in  the 
aggregate,  seventy-five  acres  or  ground,  and  cost  the  sum  of  four  million  four 
hundred  and  forty-four  thousand  dollars.  There  were  besides  these  men- 
tio!\ed  a  number  of  other  buildings  erected  by  the  several  States  and  Terri- 
tories and  by  foreign  nations,  as  well  as  by  individual  exhibitors,  in  all 
amounting  to  one  hundred  and  ninety. 

At  the  beginning  of  1876  there  were  lacking  funds  to  the  amount  of 
one  and  a  half  millions  to  make  it  a  success  upon  the  plan  that  every  one 
interested  thought  should  be  carried  out.  Congress  advanced  the  money, 
with  the  proviso  that  it  should  be  returned  out  of  the  proceeds  of  the 
Exposition. 

The  exhibition  was  formally  opened  on  the  designated  day,  May  10th, 


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368 


RECONSTRUCTION  AND  PROGRESS. 


[1869 


with  imposing  ceremonies.  The  President  of  the  United  States  received  the 
presentation  of  the  ground  and  buildings  from  the  President  of  the 
Centennial  Commission,  and  the  Stars  and  Stripes  were  unfurled  upon  the 
Main  Building,  to  signify  that  the  Exposition  was  opened  to  the  public.    The 

total  number  of  ad- 
missions  to  the 
grounds  was  9,910,965, 
at  an  admission  fee  of 
fifty  cents  each.  The 
month  of  October 
there  were  2,663,911 
persons  passed  the 
several  gates  Thirty, 
six  States  had  exhi- 
bits, and  most  of  the 
foreign  governments. 
We  will  speak  of  the 
material  effects  of  this 
Exposition  further  on. 
The  day  of  the 
national  election  came, 
and  the  result  was  in 
ENGINE  ROOM  OF  EXPOSITION,  great  doubt,  owing  to 

two  sets  of  returns  from  each  of  the  States  of  Louisiana,  Florida 
and  South  Carolina.  Both  parties  claimed  the  presidency,  and  for  the 
first  time  in  the  history  of  the  country  each  party  claimed  the  election  of 
its  candidate.  One  hundred  and  eighty-five  votes  in  the  Electoral  College  were 
necessary  to  a  choice.  It  was  at  once  conceded  that  Mr.  Tilden  had  one 
hundred  and  eighty-four.  Representative  men  from  both  parties  went  to  the 
questionable  States  to  watch  the  ofificial  counting  of  the  votes.  Excitement 
ran  high,  and  there  were  muttered  threats  of  bloodshed  and  revolution.  The 
United  States  troops  in  Louisiana  and  South  Carolina  were  under  orders 
November  loth  to  be  in  instant  readiness  to  preserve  the  peace.  The  air  of 
Washington  was  filled  by  mutual  accusations  and  charges  of  fraud.  The 
way  to  settle  the  matter  in  such  a  contingency  was  not  clearly  defined  by  the 
Constitution,  and  it  was  at  length  agreed  to  submit  the  decision  of  the 
question  to  an  Electoral  Commission,  composed  of  an  equal  number  of  both 
parties.  A  committee  similarly  constituted  was  to  report  a  bill  to  put  this  in 
effect.  January  i8th,  1877,  they  reported  the  bill,  which  provided  that  five 
members  from  the  House  and  five  from  the  Senate,  with  five  justices  of  the 
Supreme  Court,  should  constitute  the  Commission,  to  be  presided  over  by  the 
justice  longest  in  commission.  Both  parties  agreed  that  the  decision  of  the 
board  should  be  final.  The  bill  was  passed  and  signed  by  the  President 
January  29th.  The  next  day  the  Senate  appointed  Messrs.  Edmonds,  Morton, 
Frelinghuysen,  Thurman  and  Bayard.     The  first  three  were  Republicans,  the 


I877J 


RECONSTRUCTION  AND  PROGRESS. 


369 


others  Democrats.  The  House  of  Representatives  appointed  Messrs.  Payne, 
Hunton,  Abbot,  Garfield,  and  Hoar,  the  first  three  of  whom  were  Denf.ocrats, 
and  the  others  Republicans.  Associate  Justices  Clifford,  Miller,  Field,  and 
Strong  were  appointed,  and  they  chose  Joseph  P.  Bradley  for  the  fifth.  They 
met  in  the  Hall  of  Representatives  February  ist,  and  remained  sitting  until 
nearly  the  time  for  the  session  to  close,  March  3d,  when  they  declared 
Rutherford  B.  Hayes  duly  elected  President  of  the  United  States. 

ADMINISTRATION  OF  RUTHERFORD  B.  HAYES. 

{HE  nineteenth  President  was  inaugurated  March  5th, 
1877,  Chief  Justice  Waite  administering  the  oath  of 
office.  He  nominated  hi..  Cabinet,  and  the  names  were 
at  once  confirmed  by  the  Senate.  He  began  with  a 
kindly  conciliatory  policy  toward  the  South,  and  en- 
deavored by  every  means  to  produce  the  best  of  feelings 
among  the  r'tizens  of  the  distracted  States.  He 
appointed  Mr.  Key,  of  Tennessee,  one  of  the  military  leaders 
in  the  Confedera'e  army,  Postmaster-General.  The  United 
States  troops  were  removed  from  the  Southern  States,  and  left 
the  management  of  their  affairs  in  the  hands  of  their  own  civil 
..adckS.  He  pronounced  in  favor  of  civil  service  reform.  An 
«.  ?:tra  session  of  the  forty-fifth  Congress  had  to  be  called 
October  15th,  1878,  to  provide  for  a  deficiency  of  $35,000,000, 
which  had  not  been  appropriated  to  pay  the  expenses  of 
military  service  in  the  army.  The  object  was  not  attained,  for 
debates  of  an  exciting  partizan  character  consumed  the  time, 
and  showed  a  disposition  to  block  the  wheels  of  government.  A  bill  opposed 
to  Chinese  emigration  was  passed  by  Congress  and  vetoed  by  the  President, 
and  the  opposition,  having  the  power,  failed  to  pass  the  appropriation  bills. 
Another  special  session  was  called,  to  convene  March  1 8th,  1879,  when  the 
House  passed  appropriation  bills  with  such  obnoxious  provisions  for 
extraneous  matters  that  the  President  vetoed  them,  after  which  the  bills  were 
passed  with  the  unsatisfactory  measures  omitted  and  he  signed  them.  This 
session  adjourned  July  1st. 

There  was  an  immense  exodus  of  negroes  from  the  Lower  Mississippi 
States  and  the  Carolinas  to  Kansas  and  Indiana  in  1879,  which  caused 
Congress  to  appoint  a  committee  to  inquire  into  its  cause.  The  results 
obtained  did  not  prove  in  any  way  satisfactory. 

Specie  payment  was  resumed  January  ist,  1879,  after  having  been 
suspended  for  eighteen  years.  The  business  of  the  country  had  been  in  a 
depressed  condition  since  the  great  panic  of  1873,  but  it  now  began  to  rapidly 
improve.  In  opposition  to  this  measure  there  arose  a  "  Greenback  party," 
which  clamored  for  an  unlimited  issue  of   irredeemable  greenbacks,  as  the 


■  ■■(-!! 


.■'  !'('■ 


370 


RECONSTRUCTION  AND  PROGRESS. 


ri877 


Rational  currency  was  called.  They  prophesied  the  financial  ruin  of  the 
country  to  result  from  a  specie  currency,  and  have  waited  to  the  present  time 
to  see  it  come,  but  instead  the  country  has  been  prospering  in  all  departments. 
There  was  a  fearful  outbreak  of  the  Ute  Indians  in  1879.  ^^^  government 
agent,  N.  C.  Meeker,  was  murdered,  and  for  a  time  a  general  Indian  uprising 
was  feared.  Major  Thornburg  was  sent  against  them,  but  he  and  ten  of  his 
men  were  killed,  and  the  rest  surrounded  for  six  days.  The  troops  intrenched 
and  held  out  until  succor  arrived,  and  soon  the  Utes  were  put  down.  A  joint 
resolution,  having  for  its  design  the  enfranchisement  of  women,  was  introduced 
into  the  House  of  Representatives  January  30th.  The  same  in  substance  was 
presented  to  the  Senate  January  19th,  1880.  It  is  known  as  the  Sixteenth 
Amendment  to  the  Constitution. 

The  project  of  an  inter-oceanic  canal  was  revived  by  a  visit  to  this 
country,  in  1880,  of  M.  de  Lesseps,  the  engineer  of  the  Suez  Canal.  He 
examined  the  Isthmus,  and  declared  his  belief  in  the  feasibility  of  the 
scheme.  The  President  sent  a  message  to  Congress  March  8th,  1880,  in 
which  he  apprised  the  world  that  it  is  the  duty  of  the  United  States  to  assert 
and  maintain  such  supervision  over  an  enterprize  of  this  kind  as  will  protect 
our  national  interests. 

The  national  election  of  1880  was  one  of  intense  interest,  and  party 
spirit  ran  high.  There  were  four  candidates  in  the  field.  James  A.  Garfield 
and  Chester  A.  Arthur  were  nominated  by  the  Republicans  June  2d.  On 
the  9th,  the  Greenback  party  nominated  James  B.  Weaver  and  Benjamin  J. 
Chambers.  The  Prohibition  party  put  in  nomination  Neal  Dow  and  A.  H. 
Thompson  June  17th.  The  Democratic  party  assembled  in  Chicago  June 
22d  and  nominated  Winfield  S.  Hancock  and  William  H.  English.  There  is 
another  fact  which  if  not  mentioned  in  history  would  be  soon  forgotten. 
There  was  another  party  in  the  field,  whose  candidates  were  John  W.  Phelps 
and  Samuel  C.  Pomeroy.  It  was  the  Anti-masonic  party.  All  of  the  four 
candidates  for  President  had  been  generals  in  the  Union  army.  The  canvass 
was  particularly  spirited  and  bitter.  The  excitement  ran  high,  and  many 
rumors  were  put  in  circulation  which  had  no  foundation  in  fact.  James  A. 
Garfield  was  elected  by  an  unquestionable  majority.  On  the  28th  day  of 
February  the  President  elect  left  his  home  in  Mentor,  Ohio,  and  in  company 
with  his  family  proceeded  to  Washington,  accompanied  by  his  aged  mother. 

A  special  session  of  the  Senate  was  called  to  confirm  the  nominations  of 
the  new  President. 


i88i]  RECONSTRUCTION  AND  PROGRESS.  371 

ADMINISTRATION  OF  JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 

►HE  inaugural  address  of  President  Garfleld  met 
with  the  general  approbation  of  the  country.  The 
points  were:  equal  protection  for  all  without  respect 
to  race  or  color ;  universal  education  as  a  safeguard 
of  suffrage;  an  honest  coinage;  the  funding  of  the 
national  debt  at  a  lower  rate  of  interest ;  the  prohibi- 
tion of  polygamy  and  the  regulation  of  the  civil 
service.  These  were  well  received  by  all  parties  and  the 
administration  started  off  with  high  hopes.  The  Senate  of 
the  United  States  was  so  evenly  divided  between  the  two 
great  parties  that  at  the  beginning  of  the  administration  of 
General  Garfield  there  was  quite  an  animated  contest  over 
the  appointment  of  oflRcers  for  that  body.  This  caused  a 
dead-lock  for  a  number  of  weeks.  There  had  been  a  gentle- 
man nominated  by  the  President  for  the  office  of  Collector 
of  the  port  of  New  York  who  was  distaseful  to  the  senior 
Senator  from  that  State,  Roscoe  Conklin,  and  because  the 
Senate  confirmed  the  nomination  he  with  his  colleague  resigned  and 
left  that  great  State  unrepresented  in  the  United  States  Senate  till  an 
election  of  their  successors.  The  Legislature  of  New  York  was  in  session 
at  Albany,  and  at  once  there  began  an  exciting  canvass  for  the  elec- 
tion of  the  United  States  Senators.  This  lasted  for  several  weeks  and 
finally  resulted  in  the  retirement  of  Mr.  Conklin  and  his  colleague  to 
private  life  and  the  election  of  two  other  gentlemen  to  take  their 
places.  In  the  mean  time  Congress  had  been  performing  its  regular  work. 
A  treaty  with  China  concerning  immigration  and  commerce,  with  the 
United  States  of  Columbia  in  regard  to  extradition  of  criminals,  a  con- 
sular convention  with  Italy,  a  convention  with  Morocco  and  a  reciprocal 
treaty  with  Japan  concerning  shipwrecked  sailors  had  received  the  attention 
of  Government.  May  i8th  the  Senate  had  postponed  the  resolution 
reasserting  the   Monroe  doctrine. 

The  country  was  startled  on  the  eve  of  a  general  wide-spread 
celebration  of  the  anniversary  of  American  independence  by  the  news 
that  the  President  of  the  United  States  had  been  shot  by  an  assassin 
and  would  probably  die.  This  diabolical  crime  had  been  committed  at 
the  passenger  depot  of  the  Baltimore  and  Potomac  Railroad  in  Wash- 
ington  Saturday  morning,  July  2d.  Mr.  J.  G.  Blaine,  the  Secretary  of 
State,  and  the  President  were  walking  arm-in-arm  through  the  waiting- 
room  when  two  pistol  shots  were  fired  in  quick  succession  from  the 
rear.  One  shot  penetrated  the  President's  body,  and  he  was  carried 
wounded  to  a  room  in  the  second  story  of  the  depot,  and  as  soon  as 
possible  removed  to  the  White  House.    The  assassin  was  at  once  arrested 


dik 


;'l: 


w 


'■iVt 


m 


372 


RECONSTRUCTION  AND  PROGRESS. 


[1881 


by  police  officer  Kearney  and  taken  to  the-  jail.  He  proved  to  be 
Charles  J.  Guiteau,  a  man  of  great  self-conceit  and  little  ability,  who 
had  been  for  months  beseeching  the  President  and  the  Secretaiy  of 
State  for  an  official  appointment,  and  at  length,  becoming  incensed  at  not 
receiving  the  attention  he  thought  he  merited  he  resolved  upon  revenue. 
It  may  have  been  that  his  unbalanced  mind  was  inflamed  by  the 
discussions  going  on  in  the  Republican  party.  The  President,  before 
leaving  the  depot  where  he  had  been  shot,  caused  a  telegram  to  be 
sent  to  Mrs.  Garfield,  who  was  at  Long  Branch,  to  relieve  her  of  any 
undue  anxiety  in  regard  to  his  condition.    It  was  in  these  words: 

"ThePresident  desires  me  to  say  to  you  from  him  that  he  has  been  seriously  hurt,  how 
sericusly  he  cannot  yet  say.  He  is  himself  and  hopes  you  will  come  to  him  soon.  He  sends  his 
love  to  you.  A.  F.  Rockwell." 

Contrary  to  the  expectations  of  the  attending  physicians  he  did  not 
die  at  once,  but  seemed  to  rally,  and  hopes  were  entertained  of  his 
final  recovery.  The  deepest  gloom  was  over  the  nation,  and  North  and 
South  alike  felt  the  fearful  shock  of  the  blow.  The  glorious  celebra- 
tions  which  were  planned  for  July  4th  in  all  parts  of  the  country  were 
abandoned.  Messages  of  sympathy  and  condolence  came  from  all  parts 
of  the  world ;  crowned  heads  in  every  country,  American  citizens  in 
foreign  lands,  every  form  of  association,  commercial,  social,  benevolent, 
political  and  religious,  vied  with  each  other  in  tendering  the  deepest 
expressions  of  sympathy  in  this  hour  of  sadness.  Most  heartfelt  and 
touching  were  the  kind  words  of  the  widowed  Queen  of  Great  Britain. 
Then  followed  the  long  and  painful  struggle  for  life  which  lasted  for 
weary  weeks.  There  were  repeated  relapses  and  rallyings,  which  caused 
the  nation  to  alternate  between  the  hope  of  final  recovery  and  the 
despair  of  sorrow,  until  September  i6th  he  had  an  alarming  relapse. 
He  was  at  Long  Branch,  where  he  had  been  carried  in  the  most  careful 
manner  by  a  special  train  from  Washington  to  the  very  door  of  the 
cottage  where  he  was  to  die.  The  struggle  for  life  had  been  heroic, 
persistent  and  patient,  but  the  President  must  die.  At  10:55  Monday, 
September  19th,  he  drew  his  last  breath,  and  thus  passed  away  the 
man  who  had  risen  from  the  humble  position  of  a  driver  on  the  canal 
to  the  proudest  station  in  the  gift  of  a  great  people.  This  sad  ending 
of  an  eventful  life  had  filled  the  country  with  gloom  and  foreboding. 
Instantly  the  painful  news  was  telegraphed  all  over  the  world,  and  the 
messages  of  condolence  and  kindest  sympathy  poured  in  from  every 
quarter  of  the  globe.  The  noble  Queen  of  England  sent  a  message  to 
her  not  less  noble  sister  in  America,  Mrs.  Garfield,  in  the  following  words: 

"  Words  cannot  express  the  deep  sympathy  I  fed  for  you  at  this  moment    May  God  support 
•nd  comfort  you  as  He  alone  can.  Tus  Queen." 

The    Cabinet    at    once    summoned    Vice  President    Arthur    to    take 


1883] 


RECONSTRUCTION  AND  PROGRESS. 


373 


the  oath  of  office  without  delay,  and  he  did  so  in  a  very  quiet  manner 
before  night.  The  oath  was  administered  by  Judge  John  R.  Brady,  of 
the  Supreme  Court,  in  New  York.  The  remains  of  the  dead  President 
were  conveyed  to  Washington,  where  they  lay  in  state  in  the  rotunda 
of  the  Capitol  for  two  days.  The  floral  tributes  were  of  the  most 
beautiful  and  expressive  kind,  and  throughout  the  entire  country  the 
tokens  of  mourning  were  displayed  from  public  and  private  buildings. 
The  mansions  of  the  rich  and  the  homes  of  the  humble  poor,  the  large 
commercial  palaces  of  business  and  the  humble  stand  of  the  street 
vender,  the  massive  factory  of  the  wealthy  corporation  and  the  shop 
of  the  mechanic,  all  alike  were  decked  with  some  emblem  of-  mourning. 
The  South  vied  with  the  North,  and  the  whole  country  united  in  their 
heartfelt   expressions  of  sorrow. 


Ill .' 


support 

JUEBN." 

to    take 


ADMINISTRATION  OF  CHESTER  A.  ARTHUR. 


RESIDENT  ARTHUR  was  formally  inaugurated  in 
Washington  September  22d.  The  oath  was  re-adipin- 
istered  by  Chief  Justice  Waite  in  the  presence  of  Mr. 
Garfield's  Cabinet,  ex-Presidents  Grant  and  Hayes, 
General  Sherman  and  some  others.  He  then  delivered 
a  brief  inaugural  address,  and  immediately  issued  a  proc- 
lamation appointing  Monday,  September  26th,  as  a  day 
of  fasting,  humiliation  and  prayer.  He  called  an  extra  session  of 
the  Senate,  to  meet  October  loth. 

The  body  of  the  late  President  was  removed  from  Washing- 
ton, after  appropriate  religious  services,  and  conveyed  by  a 
military  guard,  accompanied  by  the  Congressional  Committee 
and  prominent  citizens.  Among  the  many  emblems  which  were 
presented  was  a  floral  ladder,  on  the  successive  rounds  of  which 
were  the  words,  "  Chester,  Hiram,  Williams,  Ohio  State  Senator, 
Colonel,  General,  Congressman,  United  States  Senator,  President 
and  Martyr."  These  names  indicated  the  upward  steps  by 
which  James  A.  Garfield  had  advanced  in  his  public  career.  Chester  was  the 
seat  of  an  obscure  seminary  where  he  began  his  education.  Hiram  is  the 
name  of  an  insignificant  college  where  he  was  a  teacher,  and  Williams  is  the 
college  where  he  graduated.    The  other  titles  explain  themselves. 

The  last  public  services  over  the  remains  were  performed  in  the  presence 
of  two  hundred  thousa  id  citizens  in  the  cemetery  at  Cleveland,  Ohio.  There 
were  services  in  all  the  cities  and  towns  in  the  country  at  the  same  time.  On 
the  23d  of  October  the  body  was  quietly  transferred  from  the  receiving  tomb 
to  the  private  vault  of  Captain  L.  T.  Schofield,  in  Lake  View  Cemetery. 

The  special  session  of  the  Senate  met  October  loth,  and  the  President's 


WW 


374 


RECONSTRUCTION  AND  PROGRESS. 


[1881 


nominations  for  Cabinet  officers  were  confirmed,  as  follows:  E.  T.  Freling 
huysen  for  Secretary  of  State ;  Chas.  J.  Folger,  Secretary  of  Treasury ; 
Samuel  J.  Kirkwood,  Secretary  of  the  Interior;  Robert  T.  Lincoln,  Secretary 
of  War;  Wm.  A.  Hunt,  Secretary  of  Navy;  Benjamin  H.  Brewster, 
Attorney-General,  and  Timothy  O.  Howe  Postmaster-General.  Other  nomi- 
nations were  confirmed  and  the  routine  business  of  the  Executive  Department, 
which,  to  some  extent,  had  been  interrupted  by  the  illness  and  death  of  the 
late  President,  was  resumed.  The  Senate  had  considerable  trouble  in  organ- 
ization, growing  out  of  the  even  division  of  the  two  great  parties.  It  ended 
in  the  election  of  David  Davis,  of  Illinois,  as  President  pro  tempore  of  the 
Senate. 

The  centennial  celebration  of  the  surrender  of  Cornwallis  at  Yorktown, 
at  the  close  of  the  War  of  the  Revolution,  was  an  occasion  of  great  national 
interest.  A  grand  naval  review  and  a  military  display  on  shore,  with  histo- 
rical addresses  and  public  festivities,  were  the  main  features  of  the  occasion. 
The  French  Government  was  represented  by  a  large  number  of  officials  and  a 
national  vessel.  Among  the  distinguished  guests  were  lineal  descendants  of 
Count  D'Estaing,  Lafayette  and  Rochambeau,  who  had  aided  the  patriots  in 
their  early  struggle.  Other  nations  of  Europe  were  also  represented.  The 
President  and  Cabinet  with  the  diplomatic  corps  of  the  nations  of  the  world 
took  part  in  the  occasion.  The  celebration  began  October  i8th,  1881,  and 
lasted  for  a  number  of  days. 

The  trial  of  Guiteau,  the  assassin  of  President  Garfield,  was  begun  in 
November  of  the  same  year.  The  widest  latitude  was  given  the  accused  to 
present  his  defense.  The  counsel  were  allowed  ample  time  to  prepare  their 
answer,  and  the  brother-in-law  of  the  prisoner  undertook  the  case  for  him, 
associated  with  Mr.  Reed.  After  a  fair,  impartial  and  lengthy  trial,  in  which 
the  plea  of  insanity  was  strongly  urged,  Guiteau  was  found  guilty  of  murder 
and  sentenced  to  be  hanged  June  30th,  1882.  Two  ineffectual  attempts  to 
shoot  the  prisoner  were  made  during  the  progress  of  the  case ;  the  first  by  a 
civilian,  whose  name  was  Wm.  Jones,  on  the  26th  of  November,  who  shot  at 
him  while  being  conveyed  in  a  van  from  the  court  house  to  the  jail.  The 
second  attempt  was  by  Sergeant  Mason,  of  the  military  guard,  who  shot 
through  the  window  of  the  prisoner's  cell  and  failed  to  injure  him. 

They  were  both  brought  to  trial  and  punished  as  their  cases  demanded. 
A  number  of  unsuccessful  measures  were  taken  by  the  family  and  legal 
advisers  of  Guiteau  to  set  aside  the  verdict,  obtain  a  new  trial,  or  induce 
President  Arthur  to  interpose  his  executive  clemency  in  favor  of  the  con- 
demned man,  but  all  of  no  avail,  and  on  the  appointed  day  he  was  hanged. 
To  the  last  he  displayed  his  egotism  and  excessive  self-conceit  by  making  a 
characteristic  speech  from  the  gallows  on  which  he  was  executed  June  30th, 
1882. 

Congress  met  in  regular  session  in  December,  1881,  and  entered  upon  a 
long  and  heated  debate  upon  political  questions.  The  people  were  demanding 
a  revision  of  the  tariff  and  a  reduction  of  the  burdens  of  taxation  occasioned 


1883] 


1883] 


RECONSTRUCTION  AND  PROGRESS. 


375 


by  the  immense  war  debt  and  the  heavy  expenditures  of  government.  They 
were  demanding  reform  in  the  civil  service  and  purity  in  the  administration 
of  public  affairs.  The  people  of  the  Pacific  States  were  clamoring  for  a 
national  law  to  prevent  the  immigration  of  Chinese  into  the  country. 
The  opportunity  for  Congress  to  distinguish  itself  in  passing  measures  of 
great  public  benefit  was  never  more  plainly  presented.  The  session  lasted 
for  nearly  eight  months,  and  when  at  last  it  adjourned  the  country  took  one 
long  breath  of  relief.  What  had  been  done  ?  The  subject  of  revision  of  the 
tariff  was  referred  to  a  commission,  to  sit  during  the  recess  of  Congress  and 
receive  testimony.  The  internal  revenue  tax  was  removed  from  perfumery 
and  proprietary  medicines.  Appropriation  bills,  exceeding  the  amounts  of 
similar  bills  passed  by  the  previous  Congress  to  the  sum  of  $76,000,000,  had 
been  passed.  The  anti-Chinese  immigration  bill  demanded  by  the  Pacific  States 
was  passed  and  vetoed  by  the  President,  and  then  another  bill,  in  modified 
form,  passed.  "A  River  and  Harbor  Bill,"  appropriating  the  immense  sum  of 
$19,000,000  for  internal  improvements,  was  passed  and  vetoed,  and  then  passed 
over  the  President's  veto.  The  great  interest  of  ship-building,  which  had  been 
entirely  prostrate  since  the  war,  received  some  attention.  And  with  this 
record  they  had  adjourned  and  gone  before  the  people  for  their  verdict. 

The  celebrated  trial  of  the  "  Star  Route  conspirators "  was  pushed  with , 
great  vigor  in  the  United  States  Supreme  Court.  This  grew  out  of  excessive 
and  fraudulent  contracts  for  the  postal  service,  in  which  a  number  of  promi- 
nent men  were  implicated.  The  first  trial  resulted  in  the  conviction  of  two 
of  the  minor  offenders,  the  acquittal  of  two,  one  of  whom  was  dead,  and  a 
disagreement  of  the  jury  in  regard  to  the  principals  in  the  alleged  conspiracy 
to  defraud  the  Government. 

Congress,  we  should  have  said,  granted  a  special  pension  to  the  widow  of 
President  Abraham  Lincoln  of  fifteen  thousand  dollars  March  15th,  1881,  but 
that  sadly  unfortunate  lady  died  a  few  months  after.  She  had  never 
recovered  from  the  severe  shock  caused  by  the  sudden  blow  of  her  honored 
husband's  assassination. 

General  U.  S.  Grant,  the  hero  of  the  Civil  War  and  the  President  for  two 
terms,  had  retired  from  public  life  after  receiving  many  tokens  of  esteem  from 
his  fellow-countrymen.  Ex-President  Hayes  at  the  end  of  his  official  term 
had  retired  to  quiet  life,  from  which  he  emerged  at  the  funeral  of  President 
Garfield,  only  to  return  again  to  the  retirement  of  domestic  life. 

The  political  outlook  of  the  country  was  somewhat  disturbed,  and  the 
canvass  in  most  of  the  States  waged  bitterly.  In  the  great  States  of  Penn- 
sylvania, New  York  and  Ohio  there  was  much  dissatisfaction  in  the  ranks  of 
the  Republican  party.  In  the  State  of  Maine,  the  home  of  James  G.  Blaine, 
the  ex-Secretary  of  State,  the  contest  waged  fiercely.  All  the  Congressmen 
in  this  State  who  had  been  suspected  of  being  friendly  in  any  way  to  the 
River  and  Harbor  Bill  were  defeated.  In  Vermont  the  majority  was  in  favor 
of  the  Republican  party.  In  Georgia,  Alexander  H.  Stevens,  formerly 
"Vice  President  of  the  Confederate  States,"  was  elected  governor,  and  the 


n  .'; 


m 


37^ 


RECONSTRUCTION  AND  PROGRESS. 


[1881 


Democratic  nominees  for  Congress  were  also  elected  by  heavy  majorities.  In 
Ohio  the  election  was  a  most  disastrous  defeat  to  the  friends  and  apologists 
of  the  "  River  and  Harbor  Bill."  A  large  number  of  the  States  held  their 
election  for  members  of  Congress  on  the  7th  of  November,  which  resulted  in  a 
most  sweeping  defeat  for  the  Administration  in  all  parts  of  the  country.  In 
the  States  of  New  York  and  Pennsylvania,  where  the  most  strenuous  efforts 
were  made  on  the  part  of  the  Government  to  elect  its  candidates,  the 
opposition  had  immense  majorities.  The  complexion  of  the  National  House 
of  P.epresentativcs  was  changed  to  Democratic,  while  all  who  voted  in  favor 
of  the  Harbor  and  River  Bill  were  cither  defeated  or  returned  with  meager 
majorities.  Connecticut,  New  York,  Pennsylvania,  Massachusetts,  and  a 
majority  of  the  States  elected  Democratic  governors.  The  rebuke  to  the 
stalwart  wing  of  the  Republican  party  was  most  decisive. 

The  XLVII.  Congress  opened  its  final  session  on  the  first  Monday  in 
December,  and  the  annual  message  of  the  President  was  read  in  both  Houses. 
The  President  first  alluded  to  the  pleasant  relations  with  all  the  foreign 
governments,  and  expressed  the  hope  that  the  differences  between  the  United 
States  and  Spain  in  regard  to  naturalization  may  be  speedily  settled. 
Negotiations  had  also  been  opened  with  the  Swiss  Government  upon  the 
same  matter.  He  also  announced  that  the  Ottoman  Porte  had  not  yet 
assented  to  the  construction  which  the  United  States  had  put  upon  the  treaty 
of  i860  in  regard  to  jurisdictional  rights  in  Turkey.  The  recommendation 
of  the  United  States  to  Chili  in  regard  to  her  difficulties  with  Peru  have  been 
declined,  and  any  steps  toward  the  formation  of  a  Protectorate  is  in 
opposition  to  the  avowed  policy  of  our  Government.  The  President 
recommended  that  especial  attention  be  paid  to  the  interests  of  ship-building, 
which  had  declined  since  the  war. 

FINANCIAL  EXHIBIT  FOR  1882. 

The  ordinary  revenues  of  the  Government  from  all  sources  for  the  year 
ending  June  30,  1882,  amounted  to  $403,525,250.28,  and  the  ordinary 
expenditures  were  $258,981,439.58.  The  surplus  revenue  was  $145,513,81:0.71, 
which,  with  an  amount  drawn  for  the  cash  balance  in  the  Treasury  of 
$27,737,694.84,  makes  $166,281,505.55. 


Of  this  there  was  applied  to  the  redemption 

the  sinking  fund,  .... 

Of  fractional  currency  for  the  sinking  fund, 
Of  Loan  of  July  and  August,  i86i. 
Of  Loan  of  March,  1863, 
Of  Funded  loan  of  1881, 
Of  Loan  of  1858,    . 
Of  Loan  of  February,  1861,   , 
Of  Five  Twenties  of  1862, 
Of  Five  Twenties  of  1864,      . 
Of  Five  Twenties  of  1865, 
Of  Ten  Forties  of  1864, 


of  bonds  to 

$60,079,15000 

58,705,587  55 

62,572,050  00 

4,472,900  00 

37»  1 94.4500a 

1,00000 

303,000  00 

2,100  00 

7,40000 

6,50000 

254,550  00 


1883J 

Oi 
Of 
Of 
Of 
Of 


Th( 
includin 

Mei 
Spe 


Mer 
Spe( 

T( 
Exc< 

This 
years. 

The 
session,  i 
upon  the 
American 

The 
the  unset 
Romero, 
to  negotia 
The  ; 
visit  to  W 
and  visite( 
The  I 
the  Arctic 
James  G. : 
received  fr 
by  a  telej 
being  aidec 
bad  been  ( 
small  boats 
landed  upo 
been  swam 
landing.    ( 
United  Sta 
The  t 


1883] 


RECONSTRUCTION  AND  PROGRESS. 


377 


Of  Consuls  of  1865 86,45000 

Of  Consuls  of  1867, 407,25000 

Of  Consuls  of  1868, 141,40000 

Of  Oregon  War  Debt, 675,250  00 

Of  Old  Demand  Compound  Interest  and  Other  Notes,  18,35000 


Total, $224,927,387  55 


»■    ! 


The  foreign  commerce  of  the  United  States  during  the  last  fiscal  yean 
including  imports  and  exports  of  merchandise  and  specie,  was  as  follows : 

EXPORTS. 

Merchandise, $750,542,257  00 

Specie 47,417,47900 

Total, $797f959.736  00 

IMPORTS. 

Merchandise $724,639,574  00 

Specie 42,472,390  00 

Total, $767,111,96400 

Excess  of  exports  over  imports  of  merchandise,  .        $25,902,683  00 

This  excess  is  less  than  it  has  been  before  for  any  of  the  previous  six 
years. 

The  Congress  set  at  work  in  earnest  to  transact  the  business  of  the 
session,  and  at  once  several  important  measures  were  introduced  and  put 
upon  their  passage.  A  bill  favoring  civil  service  reform,  one  in  regard  to 
American  shipping,  for  a  reduction  of  postage,  and  many  other  reforms. 

The  difficulties  between  the  United  States  and  Mexico,  growing  out  of 
the  unsettled  condition  of  the  border,  were  referred  to  a  commission. 
Romero,  the  Mexican  minister  at  Washington,  was  one  of  the  commissioners 
to  negotiate  a  new  treaty  between  Mexico  and  the  United  States. 

The  Duke  of  Newcastle,  a  member  of  the  English  Government,  made  a 
visit  to  Washington  in  December,  1882.  He  dined  with  the  British  minister, 
and  visited  the  Senate  Monday,  December  nth,  to  observe  its  methods. 

The  United  States  vessel  Jeannctte  had  been  sent  upon  an  expedition  to 
the  Arctic  regions  by  co-operation  of  the  Government  and  a  private  citizen, 
James  G.  Bennett,  proprietor  of  the  New  York  Herald.  No  tidings  had  been 
received  from  them  for  more  than  two  years,  when  the  world  was  electrified 
by  a  telegram  from  the  coast  of  Siberia  that  survivors  of  the  party  were 
being  aided  by  the  friendly  Russians.  Captain  James  H.  Long  and  his  men 
had  been  obliged  to  leave  their  ship  in  a  sinking  condition,  ana  with  three 
small  boats  traverse  the  immense  ice  fields  to  the  open  sea.  Two  boat  loads 
landed  upon  the  barren  and  uninhabited  coast  of  Siberia.  One  boat  load  had 
been  swamped  in  a  gale,  and  the  party  with  Captain  Long  were  Irozen  after 
landing.  One  boat's  crew  and  two  men  of  the  other  finally  returned  to  the 
United  States  in  1882  and  were  the  recipients  of  many  honors. 

The  two  hundredth  anniversary  of  the  landing  of  William  Penn,  in 


:r    '.' 


Bl'!  • 


t:\ 


378 


RECONSTRUCTION  AND  PROGRESS. 


[1856 


Pennsylvania,  was  celebrated  in  Philadelphia  in  a  becoming  manner  by  the 
city  government  and  various  organizations  of  citizens  October  25th  and  26th 
1882.     It  was  the  occasion  for  fine  military  and  civic  display,  the  delivery  of 
historical  and  patriotic  addresses,  and  unusual  festivities  of  great  interest. 

PROGRESS  AND  DEVELOPMENT  SINCE  THE 

CIVIL  WAR. 

'HE  war  had  been  practically  ended  with  the  surrender 
of  Generals  Lee  and  Johnston  in  April,  1865,  and  both 
sections  of  the  country  rejoiced  at  the  return  of  peace. 
The  South  had  suffered  most  heavily  and  lost  her  all. 
The  wealthy  families  were  reduced  to  the  verge  of 
necessity.  Their  slaves  were  free,  their  plantations 
uncultivated,  and  their  prospects  for  the  future  were 
dark  indeed.  Where  the  land  remained  in  possession  of  its  former 
owners  they  had  not  the  means  to  cultivate  it,  nor  the  money  to 
buy  seed.  The  worthless  Confederate  bonds  and  currency  in 
which  they  had  invested  or  which  had  been  forced  upon  them 
was  of  no  use  to  them  now.  Their  towns  and  villages  were 
filled  with  brave  men  who  were  shattered  in  life  and  limb,  and 
had  no  government  to  care  for  them.  Their  industries  were 
paralyzed  and  their  commerce  destroyed,  and  their  political 
status  was  as  yet  uncertain.  The  first  thought  was  for  personal 
preservation,  and  all  classes  bent  their  energies  to  the  raising  of 
the  first  crop  of  cotton,  for  which  the  manufacturers  of  the  world  were 
waiting.  The  demand  for  cotton  and  their  ability  to  supply  this  demand  was 
the  only  line  of  hope.  Bravely  and  grandly  did  they  seize  upon  it.  Could  it 
be  produced  without  slave  labor?  This  was  a  problem  as  yet  unsolved.  It 
must  be  done.  The  freedman  was  given  an  interest  in  the  growing  crop,  and 
he  labored  with  more  zest  than  he  had  ever  shown  for  the  kindest  master. 
He  was  dependent  upon  his  own  resources  now,  and  with  no  owner  to  care 
for  him  his  first  experience  in  the  new  condition  of  things  was  at  best  a  hard 
one.  Even  with  the  kindest  disposition  the  whites  were  unable  to  aid  the 
blacks.  The  bounty  of  the  Government  was  extended  to  all  alike.  The 
United  States  issued  rations  of  food  and  clothing  to  both  blacks  and  whites 
in  many  places,  and  thus  the  first  season  after  the  return  of  peace  was  passed. 
The  cotton  crop  brought  a  good  market.  The  deserted  factories  in  the  North 
sprang  into  action,  and  the  production  of  cotton  goods,  which  had  been 
suspended  for  years,  was  resumed  once  more. 

In  the  North  the  industries  had  been  somewhat  disarranged,  but  not  to 
the  extent  they  had  been  in  the  South.  The  manufacturing  of  all  manner  of 
army  supplies  had  been  pushed  to  its  utmost  limit.  Iron  factories  had  been 
running   day   and   night.     The  demand  of   the   army   for   clothing   and 


RECONSTRUCTION  AND  PROGRESS. 


379 


\il 


equipments  had  been  immense ;  but  that  was  all  changed  by  the  disbanding 

of  the  army,   and  the  industries  of  the  North  must  be  turned  to  other 

channels.     The  vast  numbers  of   returned  soldiers  must  be  provided  with 

means  of  livelihood  and  positions  for  peaceful  employment.     There  was  an 

abundance  of  money  in  the  country,  but  it  was  below  par  value  and  prices 

were  high.    There  had  been  a  disposition  to  withdraw  capital  invested  in 

mercantile  and  manufacturing  pursuits.      But  with  the   return  of    specie 

payments  and  depreciation  in  prices  came  a  general  impulse  for  investments. 

The  capital  of  the  North  was   moving  southward.    Cotton  mills  and  other 

factories  were  being  erected  nearer  to  the  supply  of  the  raw  material.    There 

arose  a    period   of    railroad  development    and  thousands  of   miles  of    new 

roads  belted  the  country.     Real  estate  was  advancing  in  price  and  the  era  of 

speculation  was  upon  the  nation  before  they  were  aware  of  it.     All  the  while 

the  South  was  recuperating  most  rapidly.    The  vast  war  debt  was  being 

reduced  and  its  interest  lessened.     The  dawn  of  specie  payment  was  like  a 

healthful  tonic,  when  all  at  once,  like  a  thunder-clap  from  a  cloudless  sky, 

burst  the  ominous  mutterings  of  that  terrific  black  Friday  that  sent  so  many 

towering  fortunes  tottering   in  their  fall.    The  long  panic  of  weary  years 

followed,  in  which  the  public  was  taught  to  contract  private  expenditures 

and  perform  business  upon  solid  principles.     The  lesson  was  a  bitter  but  a 

needful  one,  and  the  people  were  taught  by  a  hard  experience  that  inflated 

values  and  high  living  are  destructive  to  financial  success.    Slowly  the  public 

confidence  returned,  and  the  revival  of  business  began  and  assumed  a  healthy 

tone. 

The  Centennial  Exposition  had  displayed  to  the  amazed  countries  of  the 
world  the  wonderful  progress  in  all  the  arts,  n-  inufactures  and  improvements 
of  the  age,  the  United  States  leading  in  nearly  every  department  of  trade, 
and  at  the  same  time  showing  the  old  world  her  desirable  advancement  in 
the  refined  arts  and  scientific  discoveries.  In  machinery  and  labor-saving 
appliances  she  had  distanced  the  nations  of  Europe.  While  in  defensive 
and  offensive  military  armature  she  had  given  them  lessons  which  they  were 
but  too  ready  to  lean  and  improve  upon.  A  grand  impetus  was  given  by 
this  exhibition  to  all  the  industries  of  the  United  States,  while  it  opened  up 
the  markets  of  the  world  as  never  before.  The  fertile  wheat  and  corn- 
growing  sections  of  the  great  central  Western  States,  as  well  as  the  cotton- 
growing  South,  found  a  ready  market  in  the  old  world. 

The  export  trade  of  the  United  States  began  shortly  after  the 
war  to  grow  into  enorrrous  dimensions,  and  far  exceeded  its  imports. 
The  exports  in  i88i  reached  the  amount  of  $898,142,891  and  the  imports 
$729,608,823,  as  against  exports  in  i860  $373,189,274  and  imports 
$335,233,232.  These  figures  are  expressive  of  the  vast  producing  power 
of  the  nation  and  the  demand  for  the  luxuries  and  necessities  of  life 
produced  by  other  countries.  The  increase  in  positive  values  in  the 
country  would  far  exceed  these  figures.  The  public  debt  has  been 
reduced  at  the  rate  of  nearly  one  hundred  million  per  year,  and  refunded 


'lt:i- 


■W  |: 


!«tfl'' 


38o 


RECONSTRUCTION  AND  PROGRESS. 


the  principal  at  a  low  rate  of  interest.  The  cities  of  the  South  and 
the  North  have  shared  in  the  general  prosperity  and  regained  the  lost 
ground  caused  by  the  war.  The  enterprise  of  the  whole  country  has 
been  stimulated  by  a  healthful  rivalry  in  business,  and  the  bonds  of 
commercial  intercouse  are  fast  blotting  them  out.  The  following  extract 
show  the  real  feeling  of  the  South,  especially  among  its  young  men: 

From  the  Century. 

The  Southern  States  are  now  rearing  a  large  number  of  young  men  before  whom  the  outlook  is 
bright.  Some  of  them  are  sons  of  the  old  ruling  families,  but  many  of  them  have  sprung  from  the 
lower  and  middle  classes.  They  enjoy  the  advantages  of  poverty ;  they  have  no  money  to  spend  in 
luxuries  or  diversions ;  they  have  fortunes  to  retrieve  or  to  gain ;  they  have  grown  up  since  the  war, 
and  have  inherited  less  than  could  be  expected  of  its  resentments.  "  Well,"  said  a  bright  fellow  at  the 
close  of  a  college  commencement  in  Virginia  last  Summer,  "  Lee  and  Jackson  have  been  turned  over 
in  their  graves  but  once  to-day."  The  sigh  of  relief  with  which  he  said  it  indicates  the  feeling  of  many 
of  these  young  men.  They  keep  no  grudges  and  have  no  wish  to  fight  the  war  over  again.  The  senti- 
ment of  patriotism  is  getting  a  deep  root  in  their  natures. 

Yet  they  are  full  of  faith  in  the  future  of  their  own  section.  Well  they  may  be.  During  iheir 
lifetime  the  industry  of  the  South  has  been  revolutionized,  and  the  results  already  achieved  are  marvel- 
ous. An  era  of  prosperity  has  begun  ;  and  there  are  few  intelligent  men  at  the  South  to-day  who  will 
not  at  once  confess  that  it  is  destined  to  be  a  far  brighter  era  than  they  have  ever  seen.  Free  labor  is 
unlocking  the  wealth  of  farms  and  mines  and  falling  waters  in  a  way  that  slave-labor  never  could  have 
done.  New  machinery,  new  methods  are  bringing  in  a  new  day.  In  the  midst  of  the  stir  and  move- 
ment of  this  industrial  revolution  these  young  men  are  growing  up.  Hope  and  expectation  are  in  the 
air ;  the  stern  discipline  of  poverty  goads  them  on,  and  the  promise  of  great  success  allures  them.  All 
the  conditions  are  favorable  for  the  development  of  strong  character ;  and  any  one  who  will  visit  the 
Southern  colleges  and  schools  will  find  in  them  a  generation  of  students  alert,  vigorous,  manly  and 
tremendously  in  earnest.  Probably  they  do  not  spend,  on  an  average,  one-third  as  much  money  per 
capita  as  is  spent  by  the  students  of  the  New  England  colleges ;  and  in  the  refinements  of  scholarship 
the  average  Southern  student  would  be  found  inferior  to  the  average  Northern  student ;  but  they  are 
making  the  most  of  their  opportunities.  They  ought  to  have  better  opportunities.  Most  of  the  South- 
ern colleges  and  schools  are  crippled  for  lack  of  funds,  and  much  more  of  the  flood  of  Northern  bounty 
might  well  be  turned  southward,  to  the  endov...ient  of  schools  and  colleges  for  whites  as  well  as  blacks. 
The  generous  sentiment  of  the  young  South  would  thus  be  strengthened,  and  the  bonds  of  union  more 
firmly  joined.  But  whatever  may  be  done  in  this  direction  it  is  evident  that  a  race  jf  exceptional  moral 
earnestness  and  mental  vigor  is  now  growing  up  in  the  South,  and  that  it  is  sure  to  be  heard  from.  If 
the  young  fellows  in  the  Northern  colleges  expect  to  hold  their  own  in  the  competition  for  leadership, 
they  must  devote  less  of  their  resources  to  base  ball  and  rowing  and  champagne  suppers  and  come  down 
to  business. 

The  "  Cotton  Exposition "  in  the  beautiful  and  rejuvinated  city  of 
Atlanta,  Georgia,  in  October,  1882,  was  a  gigantic  exhibition  of  the 
resources  of  the  great  cotton-growing  States,  and  displayed  the  rapid 
stride  made  by  a  people  but  a  few  years  ago  prostrated  by  an  exhaus- 
tive and  unsuccessful  struggle.  The  vast  domain  of  the  South-west  is 
being  rapidly  opened  up  by  the  means  of  railroad  communications  and 
the  influx  of  immigration.  The  crowded  denizens  of  the  old  world  are 
thronging  in  inconceivable  numbers  to  the  western  republic  as  never 
before  in  the  history  of  the  country.  The  number  of  foreign  immi- 
grants landed  reached  to  the  sum  total  of  669,431  human  beings  of  every 
nation  under  heaven.  Since  1820,  when  the  Government  first  began  to 
keep  the  official  account,  there  have  come  to  the  United  States  no  less 
than    10,808,189  persons  of    foreign  birth  to  find    homes  in  this   country. 


w 


RECONSTRUCTION  AND  PROGRESS. 


381 


In  addition  to  these  there  have  come  232,283  Chinese,  who  have  been  less 
welcome  and  more  harshly  treated  than  any  of  the  rest. 

This  vast  heterogeneous  mass  of  men  and  women  of  different  races 
and  types  has  become  assimilated  and  equal  under  the  law.  They 
have  aided  much  in  developing  the  resources  of  the  land,  and  added 
to  its  material  wealth  in  many  directions.  The  vast  improvement  in 
every  department  of  science  has  kept  pace  with  the  demands  of  the  age. 
The  telephone,  the  audiphone,  the  electric-light  have  been  invented  during 
the  period  of  which  we  are  writing.  The  future  success  of  this  republic 
is  assured  if  the  institutions  of  its  founders  are  maintained  and  its 
constitution  and  laws  are  kept  unimpaired.  The  purity  of  the  ballot  box, 
the  maintenance  of  public  honor,  the  education  of  the  masses  and  the 
civilization  and  Christianization  of  the  foreign  element  and  of  the  aborigines 
are  demanded  by  the  spirit  of  the  hour.  The  great  blots  still  remaining  upon 
the  national  character — the  permission  of  polygamy  and  the  treatment 
of  the  Indian — should  be  removed.  The  sanctity  of  the  marriage  relation 
and  observance  of  the  Sabbath  should  be  required.  Public  faith  with 
nations,  tribes  and  individuals  is  imperatively  demanded,  and  then  the 
fondest  dreams  of  the  most  enthusiastic  well-wisher  of  his  country  will 
be  realized.  Private  integrity,  sobriety  and  industry  with  the  qualities 
above  mentioned  will  secure  us  from  the  fate  of  the  old  republics  that  tottered 
to  their  fall  as  soon  as  these  were  wanting. 


In 


,'!-,    '.. 


ml 

m 


•  iir 


'ill'-; 


'r     I- 


JAMES  ABRAM  GARFIELD, 


THE  MARTYRED  HERO. 


Atlantic's  waves  with  ceaseless  rolling 

In  ebbipR  tide  of  sorrow  break, 
As  muffled  bcMs  at  midnight  tolling 

The  saddened  nation  quickly  wake. 
The  Lord  of  Life  the  word  hath  spoken, 

"  Be  still,  O  throbbinR  heart  of  pain  ; " 
The  golden  wheels  at  once  arc  broken, 

And  Death  hath  touched  the  mighty  brain. 

The  vital  forces  strong  had  striven 

For  many  painful  weeks  in  vain ; 
His  column  fair  at  length  is  riven, 

For  death  hath  torn  the  veil  in  twain. 
He  bravely  yielded  to  the  spoiler, 

And  won  at  last  his  well-earned  rest. 
From  home  of  wealth,  or  humble  toiler, 

The  answer*  comes,  "  God's  will  is  best*' 

In  city  mansions  heads  are  bending. 

From  manly  eyes  the  teardrops  start, 
And  country  homes  their  griefs  are  blendini;, 

For  death  hath  pierced  the  nation's  heart. 
Palmettos  join  their  mournful  sighing 

In  union  with  the  northern  pine, 
And  east  and  west  together  vieing 

Their  richest  tributes  for  him  twine. 


Two  oceans  join  their  swelling  surges 

1  o  mourn  our  nation's  honored  dead ; 
From  northern  lakes  to  gulf  the  dirges 

Rise  o'er  the  martyred  hero's  bed. 
From  mountain  slope  to  flowing  river 

The  mournful  requiems  softiy  rise, 
For  saddened  hearts  with  sorrow  quiver 

As  home  the  wing6d  arrow  flies. 

A  deep,  impressive  silence  resting 

On  thronged  mart  and  busy  mill, 
A  solemn  awe  each  soul  investing,— 

The  mighty  rush  of  trade  is  :till. 
A  world  with  sympathy  is  heaving 

To  share  with  us  a  nation's  grief, 
As  gray  and  blue  alike  are  weaving 

A  garland  for  our  fallen  chief. 

O  God,  we  thank  Thee  that  the  nation 

May  claim  the  hope  Thy  promise  gives, 
And  find  in  this  our  consolation. 

The  God  of  justice  ever  lives. 
Our  trembling  hands  in  silence  clasping 

Above  the  martyr's  sacred  bier, 
A  new-bom  hope 'mid  sorrow  grasping, 

As  doud-ri(t»  show  a  sk^  more  clear. 

I.  H.  \ 


■h 


IN  OOB  MOT. 


E  are  standing  to-day  like  the  Roman  god  of  the  gates 
with  our  faces  turned  both  ways.     With  one  we  are 
gazing  in  subdued  tenderness  upon  the  sacred  memo- 
ries of  the  past,  and  stretching  our  hands  with  their 
wealth  of  flowers  to  do  honor  to  our  hero  dead  :  with 
the  other  we  turn  to  the  hopeful  future,  and  offer  our 
arms  still  strong  to  bear  its  burdens  and  brave  to  share 
its  battles.     For  those  who  have  nobly  fallen  in  the 
line  of  duty  the  end  has  come,  and  to  them  the  fullest  praise  should 
be  given  ;  but  for  us  who  remain,  the  bugle   only  sounds  the  need- 
ful truce,  while  with  reverent  tread  we  bear  our  comrades  to  their 
resting  place  and  strew  their  graves  with  the  richest  perfume  of  each 
returning  spring.     For  us  the  respite  from  the  conflict  is  but  a  brief 
one.    The  present  makes  its  ever  increasing  demands  upon  us,  and 
calls  for  brave  hearts  with  noble  purpose  true. 

Scarcely  do  the  echoes  of  the  burial  note  and  the  "  volley  of 
honor  '  die  upon  the  air  when  the  thrilling  tones  of  the  bugle  sound  "  On  to 
the  battle  f  "  If  we  thought  the  truce  meant  a  peace  we  were  most  sadly 
mistaken,  for  we  shall  find  that  the  contest  wages  still.  The  battle-field  only 
has  changed,  and  with  it  has  changed  the  relation  of  the  contending  forces. 
The  armies  late  arrayed  against  each  other  are  divided  on  a  different  line  now. 
Happily  the  issues  of  that  contest  are  settled,  but  the  conflict  of  the  people 
against  the  enemies  of  popular  government  wages  still.  The  recent  civil  war 
was  but  one  phase  of  the  gigantic  struggle  which  began  with  our  existence  as 
a  people,  a  single  scene  of  the  national  drama  which  opened  when  the  genius 
of  liberty  "  rang  up  the  curtain,"  and  our  fathers  pronounced  the  grand  old 
prelude  in  their  immortal  bill  of  rights,  "The  Declaration  of  Indepen- 
dence." 

The  first  battalions  of  the  army  have  engaged  in  conflicts  fierce  and  long 
and  they  won  the  victory  ;  but  their  triumph  was  not  destined  to  give  com- 
plete security  to  them  who  came  after  them.  The  enemies  of  popular  lib- 
erty have  been  encountered  and  overcome  on  many  a  hotly  contested  battle- 
field, but  after  each  successive  victory  new  allies  of  tyranny  have  as  suddenly 
arisen ;  new  assaults  have  been  prepared ;  new  tactics  have  been  employed, 
and  still  new  enemies  pour  down  upon  the  army  of  freedom.  Conquering 
field  after  field  from  their  foes  the  patriot  soldiers  see  the  frowning  hill-tops 

*  An  address  delivered  on  Decoration  day  by  the  Author. 


LESSONS  IN  OUR  HISTORY. 


383 


beyond,  still  black  with  threatening  warriors  pressing  forward  to  meet  them 
on  other  fields — and  ^^the  end  is  not  yet." 

The  march  of  freedom's  host  is  like  that  of  a  conquering  army  into  a 
fortress  that  has  been  breached.  The  men  in  the  vanguard  may  fall  by  thou- 
sands. Was  their  fall  a  failure  ?  Nay,  nay ;  for  their  bodies  but  helped  to 
bridge  the  trench  over  which  their  comrades  have  marched  to  a  complete 
victory.  The  dying  exhortation  of  the  falling  heroes  to  those  who  came  after 
them  has  been  like  that  of  noble  Lawrence,  carried  wounded  unto  death  from 
the  deck  of  his  vessel,  "  Don't  give  up  the  ship  !  "  Each  succeeding  genera- 
tion will  find  that  "  Eternal  vigilance  is  the  price  of  liberty,"  and 
this  price  must  ever  be  paid  by  those  who  would  retain  it ! 

"  This  last  successful  experiment  of  self-government  by  the  people"  is 
still  on  trial  before  the  ages,  and  the  severest  tests  are  now  being  applied, 
the  strength  of  our  institutions  is  put  to  its  utmost  tension.     The  cable  of 
law  that  holds  our  ship  of  State  is  being  stretched  by  two  opposite  forces  : 
already  do  the  strands  smoke  in  their  intense  friction  around  the  pierhead  of 
the  constitution.     On  the  one  side  unbridled  license  exerts  the  full  force  of 
its  diabolic  strength ;  the  love  of  money  and  of  power,  on  the  other,  puts 
forth  all  its  energy  to  break  the  bonds  of  lawful  restraint.     Human  greed  and 
human  lust  have  united  to  bid  defiance  to  the  right, — twin  monsters  more 
hideous  than  mythology  ever  painted  or  poet  ever  dreamed.     They   have 
given  birth  to  a  whole  brood  of  bantlings  as  repulsive  as  themselves — the 
demagogues  in  society  and  Church  and  State ;  communism  with  its  red  hand, 
Ishmael-like  arrayed  against  every  man,  and  every  man's  hand  arrayed  against 
it  *,  the  Moloch  of  wealth  seizing  in  its  fiery  arms  the  noblest  children  of  our 
race;  the  Goliath  of  intemperance  bidding  defiance  to  the  Church  of  God 
and  the  cries  of  humanity  ;  the  shameless  goddess,  Free  Love,  and  her  wanton 
sister,  Easy  Divorce,  who  have  polluted  with  their  fetid  breath  the  purest 
sanctuary   of  home  ;  dark-robed  Skepticism    assuming  the  name  of  Human 
Reason,  who  would  pluck  with  skeleton  hand  the  brightest  star  from  our  sky 
and  throw  her  own  black  mantle  of  night  over  the  horizon  that   hides  our 
hopes  of  immortality;  license  which  would  bring  to  our  land  the  Sunday  of 
Europe  and  rob  us  of  all  the  sacre.d  memories  which  hallow  "  the  day  of  rest  ; ' ' 
the  corrupting  and  festering  influences  that  are  sapping  the  manhood   of   the 
nation  ;  the    shameless  immoralities  and  ill-concealed  dishonesties  which  so 
frequently  startle  us  with  their  public  outcroppings  are  enough  to  sicken  the 
heart  and  unnerve  the  arm  of  the  patriot  if  he  has  not  the  same  confidence  in 
the  God  of  battles  that  our  fathers  had.     These  are  the  foes  with  which  we 
still  have  to  contend,  in  their  new  disguises  and  upon  their  own  well  chosen 
and  well  fortified  battle  ground. 

Shall  we  overcome  them  ?  In  the  words  of  the  flaming  orator  of  our  early 
struggle,  "  I  have  no  way  of  judging  of  the  future,  but  by  the  past." 

Look  back  on  the  line  of  history  along  which  this  "Young  Republic  of 
the  West "  has  come,  and  with  the  broad  chart  of  ancient  and  modern  times 
before  you  find  a  parallel  to  it  all  if  you  can  !     But  little  more  than  a  century 


V:  !   it 


i;i 


384 


LESSONS  IN  OUR  HISTORY. 


has  passed  since  thirteen  isolated  and  dependent  colonies,  with  no  community 
of  aims  and  no  mutual  bond  save  a  common  grievance  in  the  oppression  of 
the  Home  Government,  came  to  agitate  the  question  of  an  appeal  to  arms ; 
and  to-day,  as  regards  moral  force  and  material  strength,  they  stand  united  as 
the  first  power  in  Christendom.  The  thirteen  States  have  increased  to  (will 
some  little  boy  or  girl  who  has  the  latest  edition  of  geography  please  to  tell 
me  ?) — I  am  unable  to  keep  up  the  count  they  come  in  so  fast.  We  have  a 
new  star  in  our  flag'to-day,  I  believe,  and  the  number  is  thirty-eight. 

In  view  of  the  facts  in  our  remarkable  history  we  may  well  say  with  the 
inspired  Hebrew  bard,  "  He  hath  not  dealt  so  with  any  nation." 

Can  we  fathom  the  problems  of  Providence  in  reference  to  this  American 
people?  Has  not  Jehovah  some  mighty  design  in  all  this  wonderful  develop- 
ment ?  Can  we  not  see  the  plainest  indications  all  along  the  highway  of  the 
past  of  the  great  fact  which  the  crazy  old  king  of  Babylon  acknowledged, 
"  God  doeth  according  to  his  will  in  the  army  of  heaven  and  among  the  inhab- 
itants of  the  earth;  and  none  can  stay  his  hand"?  Let  us  look  back  upon 
our  history  and  trace,  if  we  can,  these  developments  of  Providence.  If  we 
can  do  this  we  will  not  have  misspent  the  few  moments  devoted  to-day  to 
thfs  exercise. 

Here  was  a  continent  lying  in  a  wilderness  state,  the  only  inhabitants 
were  the  wild  beasts  and  scarcely  less  wild  aborigines  who  roamed,  unre- 
strained, over  its  extensive  plains  and  through  its  grand  old  forests.  Here 
were  the  same  noble  rivers,  the  same  broad  inland  seas,  the  wide  extended 
prairie  with  its  rich  deposit  of  soil,  the  hidden  wealth  of  minerals  in  the 
bowels  of  the  earth,  water-power  capable  of  carrying  all  the  machinery  of 
the  world  to-day ;  the  same  lofty  mountains  with  their  magnificent  scenery, 
the  grandest  upon  which  the  sun  e'er  shines,  all  as  we  behold  them  now,  and 
yet  for  fifteen  hundred  years  after  the  birth  of  Christ  it  is  an  unknown  world. 
And  why  was  this  ?  Look  at  the  condition  of  the  more  civilized  parts  of  the 
world  for  these  long  centuries  and  you  will  find  the  answer, — the  dark  black 
night  of  a  thousand  years  which  had  come  over  Europe,  when  moral,  religious 
and  social  darkness  rested  on  all  the  people  so  dense  that  scarcely  a  ray  of 
light  e'er  penetrated  it.  Then  man  was  working  out  the  bitter  problem  of  the 
relation  of  the  Church  to  the  State,  in  the  union  of  temporal  and  spiritual 
power :  and  the  fearful  solution  was  well  nigh  given  in  the  loss  of  civil  and 
religious  liberty. 

Many  abortive  attempts  were  made  to  regain  that  which  had  been  lost, 
but  the  heel  of  the  tyrant  at  Rome  was  upon  the  neck  of  the  masses,  and  the 
flickering  fires,  uncertain  and  disconcerted,  which  arose  ever  and  anon  amid 
the  surrounding  gloom  went  quickly  out  and  made  the  darkness  all  the  more 
inten.s  'r  their  short-lived  burning.  These  questions  had  an  ample  theater 
in  tl  >  world ;  the  new  was  held  in  reserve  for  grander  trials  of  those 
questions  which  are  closely  interwoven  with  our  world-wide  humanity.  At 
length  the  echoes  of  the  hammer  of  Luther  as  he  nailed  his  bold  Theses  to 
the   church   door  at   Wirtemberg  awoke  the  people  from  their  sleep  of 


LESSONS  IN  OUR  HISTORY. 


385 


centuries,  a  sleep  which  had  cost  them  so  much,  in  which  the  chains  of  an 
irksome  bondage  were  being  riven  harder  and  harder  still  about  them.  But 
the  strength  of  the  sleeping  giant  was  aroused  and  the  bands  were  rent 
asunder.  And  now,  when  this  spirit  of  freedom  from  the  chains  which  had 
bound  body  and  mind  and  heart  alike,  had  swept  across  the  newly  awakened 
nations,  and  men  were  seeking  for  some  asylum  from  the  bondage,  God 
himself  sent  the  hardy  Genoan  navigator  in  his  Spanish  ships  to  open  the  way 
to  such  a  land  as  this.     And  he  did  it. 

When  "the  fullness  of  times"  had  come  he  sent  the  right  people  to 
colonize  the  land.     The  stern  unyielding  Puritan  with  hardy  hand  and  living 
faith  He  sent  to  Plymouth,  the  Dutchman  with  his  love  for  "  Faderland  "  to 
Manhattan  ;  the  Quaker  with  charitable  heart  and  uncompromising  integrity 
to  build  up  the  City  of  Brotherly  Love  ;  the  fervent,  zealous  Catholic  to  the 
shores  of  the  Chesapeake  ;  the  vanguard  of  all,  led  by  the  boldest  of  pioneers,  to 
Jamestown  ;  the  Huguenots  of  sunny  France  to  the  no  less  sunny  clime  of 
Georgia  and  the  Carolinas.     And  these  were  they  who  laid  the  foundation  of 
the  civil  government  we  now  enjoy.     Do  we  not  see  the  plainest  indications 
that  right  here,  in  this  new  world  upon  whose  eastern  shores  these  feeble 
colonies  were  planted,  there  were  questions  to  be  solved  which  were  to  affect 
all  the  race  ?    The  variety  of  creed  and  nationality  which  characterized  the 
pioneers  was  an  arrangement    of  Providence  to  hold  each  in  check,   and 
thus  prepare  for  the  coming  struggle  which  so  soon  was  to  be  theirs.      The 
seeds  were  planted,  but  it  would  take  years  of  storm  and  sunshine,  of  tempest 
and  calm,  of  anxious  watching  and  bitterest  disappointment,  before  that  seed 
would  germinate  and  develop  into  a  full  grown  tree  beneath  whose  shadow 
the  nations  of    the  earth  might  rest.      This  period  which  preceded  the 
revolution  is  rich  in  indication  of   manifest  providences.     All  the  wars  with 
the  Indians,  with  the  French,  and  the  wilderness,  too,  were  but  as  a  training- 
school  for  the   contest  which  they  were   to   have.     All   this  was  but   the 
formative,  concentrative  period  which  was  to  try  their  young  strength  and 
develop  it  to  maturity. 

Like  the  infant  Hercules  crawling  from  his  cradle  to  throttle  the  twin 
serpents  one  in  either  hand  did  these  young  colonies  contend  with  difficulties 
which  might  well  appall  the  stoutest  heart,  and  they  overcame  them.  The 
savage  climate  and  the  more  savage  aborigines  had  well  nigh  annihilated  the 
little  band.  But  still  they  stood  by  the  daring  enterprise  which  seemed  so 
perilous.  A  race  of  warriors  was  thus  reared  hardy  of  muscle  and  quick  of 
sight,  with  indomitable  courage  and  perseverance  such  as  was  soon  to  try  the 
mettle  of  the  well-trained  soldiers  of  the  Mother  Country.  The  conflict 
came.  Statesmen  and  generals  and  patriot  soldiers  were  not  wanting  for  the 
conflict. 

The  night  was  long  and  dark  and  almost  starless,  but  still  they  watched 
with  unequaled  patience  for  the  coming  morning.  Seven  weary  years  of  war 
with  all  its  sad  experiences  of  want  and  misery,  of  sacrifice  and  blood  came 
upon  them.    Then  it  was  that  these  noble  men  needed  such  trust  in  God  as 


il!;     i 


r  :i 


386 


LESSONS  IN  OUR  HISTORY. 


the  Puritan  had  instilled  into  his  faith,  such  indomitable  perseverance  as  the 
Germanic  element  infused  with  the  burning  zeal  of  the  Catholic,  and  the 
inimitable  patience  of  the  Huguenot  under  affliction.  And  that  there  was  a 
wise  design  in  this  protracted  war  is  seen  in  the  fact  that  the  colonies  were 
thus  knit  together  as  never  before  by  a  community  of  sacrifice  and  suffering 
in  the  same  cause,  and  so  the  bond  which  was  to  hold  them  in  sympathy  was 
more  and  more  firmly  cemented.  At  length  the  glorious  dawn  was  ushered 
in  ;  faint  and  uncertain  at  first,  like  the  earliest  break  of  day,  but  surely 
coming,  till  soon  the  sun  of  liberty  rises  full  and  clear  on  this  western  land. 
Clouds,  dark  and  portentous,  may  cross  his  track  and  hide  him  from  our  view, 
but  never  again  will  he  set  till  all  the  world  has  felt  the  warmth  which  cornea 
from  his  beams. 

Now  follows  the  formative  period,  when  there  needed  men  of  wise  heads 
and  honest  hearts  to  lay  the  foundations  of  government  upon  an  unyielding 
basis.  That  these  men  who  gave  us  such  a  document  as  "The  Constitution 
of  the  United  States  "  were  eminently  fitted  for  such  a  task  is  amply  proven 
by  the  experimental  workings  of  this  Magna  Charta  of  human  rights  for 
more  than  a  century. 

Wisdom  and  patriotism  in  a  very  marked  degree  were  the  characteristics 
of  the  Federal  Congress  in  the  early  days  of  our  history.  It  was  most 
eminently  fitting  that  George  Washington,  who  had  commanded  the  army 
during  the  war  of  the  Revolution,  should  be  the  chosen  one  to  inaugurate  the 
new  government.  No  other  man  in  all  history  had  so  united  in  himself  every 
characteristic  of  nature's  nobleman  as  he.  Right  worthy  the  trust  confided  to 
him  by  a  grateful  people  he  displayed  to  the  wondering  governments  of 
Europe  an  example  unequaled  by  anything  which  had  preceded  it.  They 
sneeringly  had  asked  the  question  :  Can  the  American  people  establish  a 
republic  after  a  protracted  war,  arousing  as  war  was  prone  to  do  an  ambition 
for  power  in  the  breast  of  the  successful  chieftain  ?  The  farewell  address  of 
George  Washington  to  his  countrymen,  an  immortal  production,  is  the 
unhesitating  answer  to  their  questioning. 

Now  succeeds  another  period  of  development  unparalleled  in  all  that  the 
world  had  before  seen.  The  government  had  demonstrated  its  adaptation  to 
the  wants  of  the  masses  ;  it  had  shown  its  power  to  suppress  domestic  turmoil, 
and  now  the  country  is  at  peace.  The  pursuits  of  agriculture,  of  manufactures 
and  of  commerce  receive  the  attention  of  the  people.  Wealth  and  commer- 
cial influence  very  rapidly  increase,  while  throughout  all  the  land  there  are 
being  built  up  the  monuments  of  intelligence  and  industry.  The  liberal  arts 
and  sciences,  these  problems  which  touch  the  vital  interest  of  such  a  govern- 
ment as  ours,  receive  ample  attention.  Our  prosperity  at  home  is  not  equaled 
by  our  national  standing  abroad. 

Two  of  the  chief  powers  of  Europe  were  at  war,  and  while  we  remain 
strictly  neutral  they  each  trample  upon  our  rights  as  a  nation.  The  one  takes 
from  our  ships  of  war,  by  a  pretended  right  of  search,  men  to  fill  her  own 
depleted  navy,  and  they  both  in  turn,  by  their  unrighteous  embargoes,  unite 


LESSONS  IN  OUR  HISTORY. 


387 


to  cripple  our  young  commerce.  France  recedes  from  her  position  and  makes 
restitution ;  but  the  mother  land,  who  has  ever  behaved  in  a  very  step- 
motherly way  toward  her  vigorous  child,  is  compelled  to  yield  only  by  force 
of  arms.  In  this  war,  disastrous  to  both  countries,  we  were  enabled  to  assert 
our  national  dignity,  and  to  command  the  respect  of  other  nationalities.  That 
this  war  was  needful  is  clearly  seen  by  the  marked  increase  of  our  commercial 
interests  and  the  respect  paid  to  our  flag  by  all  other  powers  ;  a  result  which 
immediately  followed.  And,  again,  through  a  period  of  years  the  develop- 
ment of  our  country  keeps  pace  with  the  loftiest  imagination.  State  r>fter 
State  takes  its  place  beside  its  fellow  in  the  Union.  Territory  is  acquired  by 
peaceful  purchase  from  Spain  (of  Florida)  and  from  France  (of  Louisiana). 
Texas  gravitates  to  us  by  the  fortunes  of  war,  and  the  golden  land,  with 
Arizona  and  New  Mexico,  are  wrested  from  a  sister  republic  by  the  force  of 
arms. 

The  strong  arm  of  the  nation  has  proved  its  power  in  subduing  the  Indi- 
ans and  bringing  the  NuUifiers  of  Georgia  and  the  Carolinas  to  bow  to  right- 
ful authority.  The  republic  has,  by  the  providence  of  God,  taken  a  foremost 
place  among  the  powers  of  the  world,  and  with  an  enlightenment  and  liberal- 
ism unknown  before  has  spread  her  broad  arms  to  the  nations  and  welcomed 
the  oppressed  of  every  clime  and  race  to  her  "  asylum  of  the  free." 

Freedom,  civil  and  religious,  was  proclaimed,  in  theory,  at  least,  through 
all  the  land.  And  thus,  as  we  have  hastily  sketched,  a  nation  of  patriots  had 
conquered  their  independence  and  had  laid  the  foundation  of  the  best  govern- 
ment the  world  has  ever  seen.  They  had  developed  into  a  powerful  people, 
prosperous  at  home  and  respected  abroad.  This  prosperity  they  had  earned 
by  their  industry,  this  respect  they  had  won  by  their  swords  from  willing 
lips.  For,  while  the  bitterest  hatred  of  old  dynasties  in  the  Eastern  World 
still  lay  smouldering  ill-concealed  beneath  their  pretended  friendliness,  they 
only  dared  to  flatter  the  rising  power  they  so  intensely  hated.  All  the  peo- 
ples of  the  Old  World  were  looking  on  in  amazement  to  see  this  experiment 
of  popular  government  prove  so  successful  as  it  did.  Sister  republics  sprang 
up  in  the  New  World  modeled  upon  our  Constitution.  The  trembling  mon- 
archies of  Europe  felt  the  moral  force  of  such  a  fact  in  history  as  "  the  United 
States  of  America  "  came  to  be,  and  they  all  desired  our  destruction  while 
they  feared  the  power  of  our  example,  for  the  masses  in  every  country  where 
a  general  intelligence  prevailed  had  caught  the  spirit  of  liberty  borne  to  them 
on  every  Western  wind,  and  should  the  fact  be  established  beyond  question 
that  the  entire  people  were  capable  of  self-government  they  would  be  most  likely 
to  follow  the  example  thus  set  them.  This  caused  the  monarchs  of  Europe 
to  wear  uneasy  crowns  as  they  sat  upon  their  tottering  thrones.  And  they 
said,  "  A  violent  internal  commotion  will  rend  this  country  asunder,  and  its 
disrupted  States  will  form  rival  independencies,  and  thus  the  power  which  we 
fear  will  ere  long  overshadow  us  will  be  destroyed."  This  they  said  and  this 
they  sincerely  hoped.  There  seemed  to  be  the  prospect  of  a  speedy  realiza- 
tion of  their  fond  anticipation,  for  there  had  been  one  dark  spot  upon  our 


t    ji 


ti-  ■« 


i!l 


388 


LESSONS  IN  OUR  HISTORY. 


otherwise  fair  escutcheon.  It  stood  out  bold  and  black  and  repulsive,  and 
made  us  a  by-word  to  the  nations.  It  was  this:  While  we  proclaimed  univer* 
sal  liberty  in  our  immortal  Bill  of  Rights,  the  Declaration  of  Independence, 
there  was  all  the  time  within  our  own  borders  a  race  of  serfs  cut  off  from  all 
these  inalienable  rights  which  we  had  demanded  for  every  man. 

How  to  deal  with  this  forbidding  question  which  we  had  inherited  from 
the  mother  country  was  a  perplexing  one  to  our  wisest  and  best  statesmen. 
Good  men  of  all  shades  of  political  opinion  could  not  fail  to  see  the  fearful 
cloud,  small  and  inauspicious  at  first,  but  spreading  wider  and  wider  still  was 
threatening  our  destruction.  The  contest  must  come  sooner  or  later.  Politi- 
cal extremists  in  either  section  of  the  country  hastened  it  to  its  final  issue. 
An  appeal  to  arms,  rash  as  it  was  wicked,  was  made.  The  flag  of  our  common 
country  was  insulted  and  disgraced.  The  authority  of  the  government 
despised  and  its  rightful  allegiance  set  aside.  Nothing  in  all  the  world  would 
give  more  satisfaction  to  the  enemies  of  civil  liberty  in  the  Eastern  continent 
than  to  see  the  rebellion  prove  a  success.  And  so  they  threw  the  whole  force 
of  their  sympathy  and  moral  aid,  under  cover  of  a  pretended  neutrality,  on 
the  side  of  those  who  sought  to  overthrow  the  government.  In  this  they 
were  disappointed.  The  unrighteous  appeal  to  arms  was  most  disastrous  to 
those  who  made  it.  The  authority  of  the  government  was  asserted  by  the 
overthrow  of  the  armed  rebellion.  The  strength  of  the  citizen  soldiery  which 
the  nation  could  call  into  the  field  was  appalling  to  other  nationalities.  More 
than  two  million  of  names  were  borne  upon  the  muster  rolls  of  the  United 
States  army,  a  greater  force  than  Napoleon  could  command  in  the  height  of 
his  power.  The  grand  review  of  the  army  at  the  close  of  the  war  was  a  spec- 
tacle unequaled  in  history.  One  hundred  and  eighty  thousand  strong,  they 
marched  past  the  president  and  the  generals  of  the  army,  and  that,  too,  when 
many  thousands  of  soldiers  equally  brave  were  scattered  throughout  the 
South.  Never  before  had  the  world  seen  such  a  sight.  But  these  men  were 
ready  to  stack  their  arms,  pack  their  artillery,  and  return  to  the  avocations  of 
peace.  In  an  incredibly  short  time  they  were  disbanded ;  and  to-day  you 
will  find  them  in  the  workshops,  the  fields,  the  stores,  and  all  the  marts  of 
trade  throughout  our  land,  from  its  one  extreme  to  the  other. 

Those  questions  which  were  left  to  be  solved  as  the  outgrowth  of  the  war 
are  too  new  and  too  recent  for  us  to  discuss  them  without  bias  by  our  former 
opinions.  That  ultimately  they  will  be  wrought  out  to  a  successful  issue  is 
the  hope,  yes,  the  settled  belief  of  every  man  who  recognizes  the  truth  that 
••  God  ruleth  among  the  nations  of  the  earth,"  and  "  he  maketh  even  the 
wrath  of  man  to  praise  him."  Is  there  no  design  of  Providence  in  all  this 
wonderful  history  of  the  past  and  aspect  of  the  present  ?  This  free  land, 
extending  from  sea  to  sea,  with  no  abutting  nation  upon  either  frontier, 
capable  of  containing  one  hundred  millions  of  inhabitants,  offers  now  a  home 
to  the  oppressed  of  the  world ;  and  they  are  hastening  to  its  shores,  spreading 
over  its  wide  extent,  and  peopling  its  towns  and  villages.  The  Celtic  and 
Teutonic,  the  Anglo-Saxon  and  his  Germanic  cousin,  the  Scandinavian  of 


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self  answ( 
must  chri 
part  in  th 
freedom  c 
These,  thi 
ours,  and 
person  an 
the  civiliz; 
grandest 
written  on 
weighed  ir 
another," 
Let  us 
which  has . 
of  three  ge 
soluble  cha 
the  noblest 
The  p 
sacrifices  f( 
enrich  the  « 
»sh,  striking 
't  lift  its  to 


LESSONS  IN  OUR  HISTORY. 


389 


11  i 


Northern  Europe  and  the  child  of  sunny  France  and  Italy.  The  Asiatic  and 
the  African  are  beneath  a  common  flag  to-day.  The  teeming  population  of 
Europe  and  Asia  came  of  their  own  accord,  the  one  part  across  the  ocean 
which  laves  our  Eastern  shores,  and  the  other  wafted  by  the  softer  gales  of 
ihe  Pacific  to  the  golden  shores  of  the  west.  And  now  they  find  an  equal 
home  as  they  strike  glad  hands  across  our  free  America. 

The  dusky  sons  of  Africa  are  here  as  well.  They  came,  it  is  true,  as 
Joseph  came  to  the  land  of  Egypt, "  whose  feet  they  hurt  with  fetters."  But, 
thank  God,  those  fetters  are  stricken  off  to-day.  Here  there  is  ample  protec- 
tion for  all  religions  alike,  the  true  and  the  false.  The  Protestant  and  the 
Catholic,  the  Mohammedan  and  Pagan,  the  Jew  and  the  Christian  of  every 
name  are  on  an  equal  footing  before  the  law.  The  only  conflict  there  is 
between  them  is  the  conflict  of  argument  and  ideas,  and  with  a  general  diffu- 
sion of  intelligence  among  the  people  the  true  religion  has  nothing  to  fear  in 
the  unequal  contest  with  the  false.  If  America  in  the  future  will  keep  her 
ballot-box  pure  and  her  people  rightly  educated  she  need  fear  nothing  that 
that  future  has  in  store  for  her. 

The  great  duty  of  America  to-day  is  to  civilize,  to  educate  and  to  christian- 
ize her  people.  The  first  of  these  results  will  follow  from  the  other  two 
united.  God  has  sent  the  world  to  our  feet  for  us  to  enlighten,  to  instruct, 
and  to  convert  to  him.  When  the  great  question  came  to  the  church  of 
Christ,  ••  How  shall  we  bring  all  men  to  a  knowledge  of  the  truth  ? 
How  shall  we  send  the  light  of  a  pure  religion  to  all  the  world  ?  "  God  him- 
self answered  it  by  sending  the  nations  to  us.  Here  they  are  to-day,  and  we 
must  christianize  them  or  they  will  paganize  us.  The  Church  can  do  her  great 
part  in  this  work  so  long  as  the  strong  arm  of  the  Government  protects  the 
freedom  of  speech  and  disseminates  the  light  of  intelligence  to  the  masses. 
These,  then,  are  the  bold  questions  which  affect  this  common  humanity  of 
ours,  and  which  America  is  working  out  for  the  world  to-day  :  freedom  ol 
person  and  conscience ;  universal  equality  and  the  brotherhood  of  the  race ; 
the  civilization  and  redemption  of  all  men.  If  she  be  true  to  her  trust  the 
grandest  place  in  history  awaits  her,  but  if  she  prove  false,  she  will  find 
written  on  the  walls  of  her  proudest  palaces  b)'  the  finger  of  Deity,  "  Thou  art 
weighed  in  the  balances  and  art  found  wanting.  Thy  kingdom  is  given  to 
another,"  which,  may  heaven  forbid  ! 

Let  us  who  are  here  to-day  prize,  as  we  should,  the  blessed  inheritance 
which  has  come  down  to  us  from  the  past.  Let  us  remember  that  the  blood 
of  three  generations  cements  the  bond  which  binds  this  union  with  its  indis- 
soluble chain.  The  altar  of  our  liberty  has  been  baptized  with  the  richest  and 
the  noblest  blood  which  ever  flowed  in  human  veins. 

The  patriots  of  1776,  of  1812,  and  of  1861  have  vied  with  each  other  in 
sacrifices  for  a  common  country,  and  poured  out  their  blood  like  water  to 
enrich  the  soil  from  which  has  sprung  this  tree  of  liberty.  Long  may  it  flour- 
ish,  striking  its  roots  deeper  and  deeper  still  into  the  earth  ;  higher  yet  may 
it  lift  its  towering  top  into  the  heavens  as  its  branches,  outstretching  far  and 


liJ   '■ 


390 


LESSONS  IN  OUR  HISTORY. 


wide,  throw  their  protection  over  all  the  land  alike.  Nor  storms,  nor 
tempests'  fiercest  power  can  now  tear  up  the  giant  oak.  If  e'er  it  shall 
decay,  the  worm  which  feeds  upon  its  life  will  be  the  cause.  But  may  God 
forbid. 

Let  us,  then,  swear  renewed  fidelity  to  our  institutions,  to  the  Constitu* 
tion  and  the  laws  of  our  united  land.  And  with  that  stern  old  patriot, 
Andrew  Jackson,  answer  back  to  the  world,  "  The  Union  must  and  shall  be 
preserved." 


OUR  HERO  DEAD. 


God's  eternal  stars  are  keeping 

Faithful  watch  above  our  dead, 
And  His  clouds,  in  pity  weeping, 

Bathe  each  sleeping  hero's  bed ; 
Thus  her  misty  mantle  throwing 

'Round  each  sacred  resting-place, 
Nature  keenest  sorrow  showing, 

Veils  awhile  her  tearful  face. 

Day  and  night,  with  varied  changes, 

Hasten  through  the  restless  years. 
Swift-winged  time,  whose  flight  estranges 

Friendship's  mingled  joys  and  fears. 
Heals  the  wounds  of  bitter  anguish 

Caused  by  deeds  of  angry  strife, 
When  the  hearts  in  sorrow  languish 

Brings  its  buried  hopes  to  life. 

But  our  vows  can  not  be  broken 

Lightly  as  the  spider's  thread ; 
Vows  in  earnest  whispers  spoken, 

When  we  laid  away  our  dead. 
And  those  deeds  are  not  forgotten 

Which  they  wrought  amid  the  brave, — 
Deeds  of  manly  hearts  begotten. 

Shedding  luster  o'er  each  grave. 

Low  the  gentle  winds  are  sighing, 

Through  the  cypress  and  the  pine, 
O'er  the  holy  dust  now  lying 

Where  their  shadows  dark  entwine, 
And  the  soft  and  mournful  cadence 

Of  their  plaintive,  sad  refrain. 
Breathing  like  a  heavenly  presence 

Sing  the  tribute  to  our  slain. 


Where  the  Nazarene  was  taken. 

Laid  within  a  new-made  grave, 
There  by  friend  and  foe  forsaken, 

Was  there  not  a  spirit  brave, 
Who  had  found  the  situation 

In  the  dismal  midnight  gloom, 
Taking  then  his  humble  station. 

Warden  of  the  Saviour's  tomb  ? 

Thus  would  I,  the  office  prizing, 

Stand  beside  our  honored  dead, 
While  within  my  bosom  rising. 

Thoughts  that  glory's  luster  shed, 
For  the  sacred  voice  would  listen, 

"  Weep  not  here  with  heart  forlorn, 
Though  like  pearls  your  tea-drops  glisten, 

Hail  with  joy  the  risen  morn." 

Long  in  sorrow  we  have  waited, 

For  the  passing  of  the  storm. 
And  the  morning  so  belated. 

Lo  !  there  comes  an  angel  form, 
Bidding  us  "  No  more  in  sadness 

Shed  our  bitter,  scalding  tears, 
For  in  that  bright  world  of  gladness 

Light  shall  shine  through  countless  years 

See  !  the  thinning  clouds,  now  rifted 

Here  and  there,  disclose  the  blue : 
Where  their  parted  folds  have  lifted 

Breaks  the  sun  upon  our  view. 
And  his  promise  for  the  morrow 

Cheers  our  hearts  amid  the  gloom ; 
Bids  us  banish  every  sorrow  ; 

Sheds  a  radiance  'round  their  tomb, 

J.  H.  B. 


in. 


ITS 


THE  BIRTHPLACE  OF  THOMAS  JEFFERSON. 


^M^^^ 


Mms^  i--^-"-^-^ 


abolis 


SIGNATURES  TO  THE  DECLARATION  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


▼r\ 


DECLARATION  OF  DEPEIENGB. 

In  Congress,  July  4th,  1776. 
By  the  Representatives  of  the  United  States,  in  Congress  assembled* 

A  DECLARATION. 


HEN,  in  the  course  of  human  events,  it  becomes 
necessary  for  one  people  to  dissolve  the  political  bands 
which  have  connected  them  with  another,  and  to 
assume  among  the  powers  of  the  earth  the  separate 
and  equal  station  to  which  the  laws  of  nature  and  of 
nature's  God  entitled  them,  a  decent  respect  for  the 
opinions  of  mankind  requires  that  they  should  declare 
the  causes  which  impel  them  to  the  separation. 

We  hold  these  truths  to  be  self-evident : — that  all  men  arc 
created  equal ;  that  they  are  endowed  by  their  Creator  with  certain 
unalienable  rights;  that  among  these  are  life,  liberty,  and  the 
pursuit  of  happiness ;  that,  to  secure  these  rights,  governments  are 
instituted  among  men,  deriving  their  just  powers  from  the  consent 
of  the  governed ;  that  whenever  any  form  of  government  becomes 
destructive  of  these  ends  it  is  the  right  of  the  people  to  alter  or  to 
abolish  it,  and  to  institute  a  new  government,  laying  its  foundation  on  such 
principles,  and  organizing  its  powers  in  such  form,  as  to  them  shall  seem  most 
likely  to  effect  their  safety  and  happiness.  Prudence,  indeed,  will  dictate 
that  governments  long  established  should  not  be  changed  for  light  and 
transient  causes ;  and  accordingly  all  experience  hath  shown  that  mankind 
are  more  disposed  to  suffer,  while  evils  are  sufferable,  than  to  right  themselves 
by  abolishing  the  forms  to  which  they  are  accustomed.  But  when  a  long 
train  of  abuses  and  usurpations,  pursuing  invariably  the  same  object, 
evinces  a  design  to  reduce  them  under  absolute  despotism,  it  is  their  right,  it 
is  their  duty,  to  throw  off  such  government,  and  to  provide  new  guards  for 
their  future  security.  Such  has  been  the  patient  sufferance  of  these  colonies ; 
and  such  is  now  the  necessity  which  constrains  them  to  alter  their  former  sys- 
tem of  government.  The  history  of  the  present  king  of  Great  Britain  is  a 
history  f  repeated  injuries  and  usurpations,  all  having  in  direct  object  the 
establishment  of  an  absolute  tyranny  over  these  States,  To  prove  this,  let 
facts  be  submitted  to  a  candid  world, 


!i 


ih    r 


I 


,,1    • 


!-■  ■^.    ! 


394 


DECLARATION  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


He  has  refused  his  assent  to  laws  the  most  wholesome  and  necessaiy  for 
the  public  good. 

He  has  forbidden  his  governors  to  pass  laws  of  immediate  and  pressing 
importance,  unless  suspended  in  their  operation  till  his  assent  should  be 
obtained ;  and,  when  so  suspended,  he  has  utterly  neglected  to  attend  to 
them. 

He  has  refused  to  pass  other  laws  for  the  accommodation  of  large 
districts  of  people,  unless  those  people  would  relinquish  the  right  of  repre- 
sentation in  the  legislature — a  right  inestimable  to  them,  and  formidable  to 
tyrants  only. 

He  has  called  together  legislative  bodies  at  places  unusual,  uncom- 
fortable, and  distant  from  the  depository  of  their  public  records,  for  the 
sole  purpose  of  fatiguing  them  into  compliance  with  his  measures. 

He  has  dissolved  representative  houses  repeatedly,  for  opposing,  with 
manly  firmness,  his  invasions  on  the  rights  o    the  people. 

He  has  refused,  for  a  long  time  ter  such  dissolutions,  to  cause  others  to 
be  elected  ;  whereby  the  legislative  powers,  incapable  of  annihilation,  have 
returned  to  the  people  at  large  for  their  exercise  ;  the  State  remaining,  in  the 
mean  time,  exposed  to  all  the  dan^,  r  invasion  from  without  and  convulsions 
within. 

He  has  endeavored  to  prevent  the  population  of  these  States ;  for  that 
purpose  obstructing  the  laws  for  naturalization  of  foreigners,  refusing  to  pass 
others  to  encourage  their  migration  hither,  and  raising  the  conditions  of  new 
appropriations  of  lands. 

He  has  obstructed  the  administration  of  justice,  by  refusing  his  assent  to 
laws  for  establishing  judiciary  powers. 

He  has  made  judges  dependent  on  his  will  alone  for  the  tenure  of  their 
ofHces  and  the  amount  and  payment  of  their  salaries. 

He  has  erected  a  multitude  of  new  offices,  and  sent  hither  swarms  of 
officers  to  harass  our  people  and  eat  out  their  substance. 

He  has  kept  among  us,  in  times  of  peace,  standing  armies,  without  the 
consent  of  our  legislatures. 

He  has  affected  to  render  the  military  independent  of  and  superior  to  the 
civil  power. 

He  has  com^bined  with  others  to  subject  us  to  a  jurisdiction  foreign  to 
our  constitution  and  unacknowledged  by  our  laws  ;  giving  his  assent  to  their 
acts  of  pretended  legislation, — 

For  quartering  large  bodies  of  armed  troops  among  us : 

For  protecting  them,  by  a  mock  trial,  from  punishment  for  any  murders 
which  they  should  commit  on  the  inhabitants  of  these  States : 

For  cutting  off  our  trade  with  all  parts  of  the  worid  • 

For  imposing  taxes  on  us  without  our  consent : 

For  depriving  us,  in  many  cases,  of  the  benefits  of  trial  by  jury: 

For  transporting  us  beyond  seas,  to  be  tried  for  pretended  offenses : 

For  abolishing  the  free  system  of  English  law  in  a  neighboring  pronncc 


DECLARATION  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


395 


establishing  therein  an  arbitrary  government,  and  enlarging  its  boundaries  so 
as  to  render  it  at  once  an  example  and  fit  instrument  for  introducing  the 
same  absolute  rule  into  these  colonies  : 

For  taking  away  our  charters,  abolishing  our  most  valuable  laws,  and 
altering  fundamentally  the  forms  of  our  government : 

For  suspending  our  own  legislatures,  and  declaring  themselves  invested 
with  power  to  legislate  for  us  in  all  rases  whatsoever. 

He  has  abdicated  government  here  by  declaring  us  out  of  his  protection, 
and  waging  war  against  us. 

He  has  plundered  our  seas,  ravaged  our  coasts,  burned  our  towns,  and 
destroyed  the  lives  of  our  people. 

He  is  at  this  time  transporting  large  armies  of  foreign  mercenaries,  to 
complete  the  works  of  death,  desolation  and  tyranny,  already  begun,  with 
circumstances  of  cruelty  and  perfidy  scarcely  paralled  in  the  most  barbarous 
ages,  and  totally  unworthy  the  head  of  a  civilized  nation. 

He  has  constrained  our  fellow-citizens  taken  captive  on  the  high  seas, 
to  bear  arms  against  their  country,  to  become  the  executioners  of  their 
friends  and  brethren  or  to  fall  themselves  by  their  hands. 

He  has  excited  domesti.:  insurrections  among  us,  and  has  endeavored  to 
bring  on  the  inhabitants  of  our  frontiers  the  merciless  Indian  savages,  whose 
known  rule  of  warfare  is  an  undistinguished  destruction  of  all  ages,  sexes, 
and  conditions. 

In  every  stage  of  these  oppressions  we  have  petitioned  for  redress  in  the 
most  humble  terms ;  our  petitions  have  been  answered  only  by  repeated 
injury.  A  prince  whose  charr.cter  is  thus  marked  by  every  act  which  may 
define  a  tyrant  is  unfit  to  be  the  ruler  of  a  free  people. 

Nor  have  we  been  wanting  in  attention  to  our  British  brethren.  We 
have  warned  them,  from  time  to  time,  of  attempts  made  by  their  legislature 
to  extend  an  unwarrantable  jurisdiction  over  us.  We  have  reminded  them 
of  the  circumstances  of  our  emigration  and  settlement  here.  Wc  have 
appealed  to  their  native  justice  and  magnanimity,  and  we  have  conjured 
them,  by  the  ties  of  our  common  kindred,  to  disavow  these  usurpations, 
which  would  inevitably  interrupt  our  connections  and  correspondence. 
They,  too,  have  been  deaf  to  the  voice  of  justice  and  consanguinity.  Wc 
must  therefore  acquiesce  in  the  necessity  which  denounces  our  separation, 
and  hold  them,  as  we  hold  the  rest  of  mankind,  enemies  in  war — in  peace, 
friends. 

We,  therefore,  the  representatives  of  the  United  States  of  America,  in 
general  Congress  assembled,  appealing  to  the  Supreme  Judge  of  the  world 
for  the  rectitude  of  our  intentions,  do  in  the  name  and  by  the  authority  of 
the  good  people  of  these  colonies  solemnly  publish  and  declare  that  these 
United  Colonies  are,  and  of  right  ought  to  be,  free  and  independent  States ; 
that  they  are  absolved  from  all  allegiance  to  the  British  crown,  and  that  all 
political  connection  between  them  and  the  State  of  Great  Britain  is,  and 
ought  to  be,  totally  dissolved ;  and  that,  as  independent  States,  they  have  fuU 


!!    I 


liii'i  M 

I  it 

I,  f' 


t    > 


.1  ! 


:i:' 


I*!    H 


■  i! 


396 


DECLARATION  OF  INDEPENDENCE. 


power  to  levy  war,  conclude  peace,  contract  alliances,  establish  commerce, 
and  to  do  all  other  acts  and  things  which  independent  States  may  of  right  do. 
And  for  the  support  of  this  declaration,  with  a  firm  reliance  on  the  protec- 
tion of  Divine  Providence,  we  mutually  pledge  to  each  other  our  lives,  out 
fortunes,  and  our  sacred  honor. 

Signed  by  order  and  in  behalf  of  the  Congress. 

JOHN  HANCOCK,  President. 

Attested,  CHARLES  THOMPSON,  Secretary. 


NEW  HAMPSHIRE. 

JOSIAH    BarTLETT, 

William  Whipple, 
Matthew  Thornton. 

MASSACHUSETTS  BAY. 
Samuel  Adams, 
John  Adams, 
Robert  Treat  Paine, 
Elbridge  Gerry. 

RHODE  ISLAND,  Etc, 
Stephen  Hopkins, 
William  Ellerv. 

CONNECTICUT. 
Roger  Sherman, 
Samuel  Huntington, 
William  Williams, 
Oliver  Wolcott. 

NEW  YORK. 
William  Floyd, 
Philip  Livingston, 
Francis  Lewis, 
Lewis  Morris. 

NEW  JERSEY. 
Richard  Stockton, 
John  Witherspoon, 
Francis  Hopkinson, 
John  Hart, 
Abraham  Clark. 

PENNSYLVANIA. 
Robert  Morris, 
Benjamin  Rush, 
Benjamin  Franklin, 
John  Morton, 
GsoRGE  Clvmer, 


James  Smith, 
George  Taylor, 
James  Wilson, 
George  Ross. 

DELAWARE. 

CiESAR  Rodney, 
George  Read, 
Thomas  M'Kean. 

MARYLAND. 

Samuel  Chase, 
William  Paca, 
Thomas  Stone, 
Charles  Carroll,  of  Carrollton. 

VIRGINIA. 
George  Wythe, 
Richard  Henry  Lee, 
Thomas  Jefferson, 
Benjamin  Harrison, 
Thomas  Nelson,  Jr., 
Francis  Lightfoot  Lee, 
Carter  Braxton. 

NORTH  CAROLINA 
William  Hooper, 
Joseph  Hewes, 
John  Penn. 

SOUTH  CAROLINit 
Edward  Rutledge, 
Thomas  Heyward,  Jr., 
Thomas  Lynch,  Jr., 
Arthur  Middleton. 

GEORGIA. 
Button  Gwinnett, 
Lyman  Hall, 
George  Walton. 


rn 


i>i 


N^^j 


COfflTDTION  OF  TE  Omi  STATES  OF  AMCA. 

We,  the  people  of  the  United  States,  in  order  to  form  a  more  perfect  union, 
establish  justice,  insure  domestic  trariquillity,  provide  for  the  common  de- 
fense, promote  the  general  welfare,  and  secure  the  blessings  of  liberty  to 
ourselves  and  our  posterity,  do  ordain  and  establish  this  Constitution  of 
the  United  States  of  America. 

ARTICLE  I. 

Section  I. — All  legislative  powers  herein  graated  shall  be  vested  in  a 
Congress  of  the  United  States,  which  shall  consist  of  a  Senate  and  House  of 
Representatives. 

Sec.  II. — I.  The  House  of  Representatives  shall  be  composed  of  mem- 
bers chosen  every  second  year  by  the  people  of  the  several  States ;  and  the 
electors  in  each  State  shall  have  the  qualifications  requisite  for  electors  of  the 
most  numerous  branch  of  the  State  legislature. 

2.  No  person  shall  be  a  representative  who  shall  not  have  attained  the 
age  of  twenty-five  years,  and  been  seven  years  a  citizen  of  the  United  States, 
and  who  shall  not,  when  elected,  be  an  inhabitant  of  the  State  in  which  he 
shall  be  chosen. 

3.  Representatives  and  direct  taxes  shall  be  apportioned  among  the  sev- 
eral States  which  may  be  included  within  this  Union,  according  to  their 
respective  numbers,  which  shall  be  determined  by  adding  to  the  whole  number 
of  free  persons,  including  those  bound  to  service  for  a  term  of  years,  and  ex- 
cluding Indians  not  taxed,  three-fifths  of  all  other  persons.  The  actual 
enumeration  shall  be  made  within  three  years  after  the  first  meeting  of  the 
Congress  of  the  United  States,  and  within  every  subsequent  term  of  ten  years, 
in  such  manner  as  they  shall  by  law  direct.  The  number  of  representatives 
shall  not  exceed  one  for  every  thirty  thousand,  but  each  State  shall  have  at 
least  one  representative ;  and  until  such  enumeration  shall  be  made,  the  State 
of  New  Hampshire  shall  be  entitled  to  choose  three ;  Massachusetts^  eight ; 
Rhode  Island  and  Providence  Plantations,  one ;  Connecti'-ut,  five :  New  York, 
six;  New  Jersey,  four;  Pennsylvania,  eight;  Delaware,  one;  Maryland,  six; 
Virginia,  ten ;  North  Carolina,  five ;  South  Carolina,  five ;  Georgia,  three. 

4.  When  vacancies  happen  in  the  representation  from  any  State,  the  ex- 
ecutive authority  thereof  shall  issue  writs  of  election  to  fill  such  vacancies. 

5-  The  House  of  Representatives  shall  choose  their  speaker  and  other 
officers,  and  thall  have  the  sole  power  of  impeachment. 

Sec.  III.— I.  The  Senate  of  the  United  States  shall  be  composed  of  two 


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CONSTITUTION  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


senators  from  each  State,  chosen  by  the  legislature  thereof,  for  six  years ;  and 
each  senator  shall  have  one  vote. 

2.  Immediately  after  they  shall  be  assembled  in  consequence  of  the  first 
election,  they  shall  be  divided,  as  equally  as  may  be,  into  three  classes.  The 
seats  of  the  senators  of  the  first  class  shall  be  vacated  at  the  expiration  of  the 
second  year,  of  the  second  class  at  the  e?cpiration  of  the  fourth  year,  and  the 
third  class  at  the  expiration  of  the  sixth  year,  so  that  one-third  may  be  chosen 
every  second  year  ;  and  if  vacancies  happen  by  resignation  or  otherwise,  dur- 
ing  the  recess  of  the  legislature  of  any  State,  the  executive  thereof  may  make 
temporary  appointments  until  the  next  meeting  of  the  legislature,  which  shall 
then  fill  such  vacancies. 

3.  No  person  shall  be  a  senator  who  shall  not  have  attained  the  age  of 
thirty  years,  and  been  nine  years  a  citizen  of  the  United  States,  and  who  shall 
not,  when  elected,  be  an  inhabitant  of  that  State  for  which  he  shall  be 
chosen. 

4.  The  Vice-President  of  the  United  States  shall  be  president  of  the 
Senate,  but  shall  have  no  vote,  unless  they  be  equally  divided. 

5.  The  Senate  shall  choose  their  other  officers,  and  also  a  president  pro 
tempore  in  the  absence  of  the  vice-president,  or  when  he  shall  exercise  the 
office  of  President  of  the  United  States. 

6.  The  Senate  shall  have  the  sole  power  to  try  all  impeachments.  When 
sitting  for  that  purpose,  they  shall  be  on  oath  or  affirmation.  When  the 
President  of  the  United  States  is  tried,  the  chief  justice  shall  preside;  and  no 
person  shall  be  convicted  without  the  concurrence  of  two-thirds  of  the  mem- 
bers present. 

7.  Judgment,  in  cases  of  impeachment,  shall  not  extend  further  than  to 
removal  from  office,  and  disqualification  to  hold  and  enjoy  any  office  of  honor, 
trust,  or  profit  under  the  United  States ;  but  the  party  convicted  shall,  never- 
theless, be  liable  and  subject  to  indictment,  trial,  judgment,  and  punishment, 
according  to  law. 

Sec.  IV. — The  times,  places,  and  manner  of  holding  elections  for  senators 
and  representatives  shall  be  prescribed  in  each  State  by  the  legislature  there- 
of ;  but  the  Congress  may,  at  any  time,  by  law,  make  or  alter  such  regulations, 
except  as  to  the  places  of  choosing  senators. 

2.  The  Congress  shall  assemble  at  least  once  in  every  year ;  and  such 
meeting  shall  be  on  the  first  Monday  in  December,  unless  they  shall  by  law 
appoint  a  different  day. 

Sec.  V. — I.  Each  house  shall  be  judge  of  the  elections,  returns,  and 
qualifications  of  its  own  members  ;  and  a  majority  of  each  shall  constitute  a 
quorum  to  do  business  ;  but  a  smaller  number  may  adjourn  from  day  to  day, 
and  may  be  authorized  to  compel  the  attendance  of  absent  members  in  such 
manner  and  under  such  penalties  as  each  house  may  provide. 

2.  Each  house  may  determine  the  rules  of  its  proceedings,  punish  its 
members  for  disorderly  behavior,  and,  wjth  the  concurrence  pf  two-thirds, 
expel  a  member, 


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CONSTITUTION  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


399 


3.  Each  house  shall  keep  a  journal  of  its  proceedings,  and,  from  time  to 
time,  publish  the  same,  excepting  such  parts  as  may,  in  their  judgment, 
require  secrecy ;  and  the  yeas  and  nays  of  the  members  of  either  house  on 
any  question  shall,  at  the  desire  of  one-fifth  of  those  present,  be  entered  on 
the  journal. 

4.  Neither  house,  during  the  session  of  Congress,  shall,  without  the  con- 
sent of  the  other,  adjourn  for  more  than  three  days,  nor  to  any  other  place 
than  that  in  which  the  two  houses  shall  be  sitting. 

Sec.  VI. — I.  The  senators  and  representatives  shall  receive  a  compensa- 
tion for  their  services,  to  be  ascertained  by  law,  and  paid  out  of  the  treasury 
of  the  United  States.  They  shall,  in  all  cases,  except  treason,  felony,  and 
breach  of  the  peace,  be  privileged  from  arrest  during  their  attendance  at  the 
session  of  their  respective  houses,  and  in  going  to  or  returning  from  the  same ; 
and  for  any  speech  or  debate  in  either  house  they  shall  not  be  questioned  in 
any  other  place. 

2.  No  senator  or  representative  shall,  during  the  time  for  which  he  was 
elected,  be  appointed  to  any  civil  ofifice  under  the  authority  of  the  United 
States  which  shall  have  been  created,  or  the  emoluments  whereof  shall  have 
been  increased,  during  such  time  ;  and  no  person  holding  any  ofifice  under  the 
United  States  shall  be  a  member  of  either  house  during  his  continuance  in 
office. 

Sec.  VII. — I.  All  bills  for  raising  revenue  shall  originate  in  the  House  of 
Representatives ;  but  the  Senate  may  propose  or  concur  with  amendments,  as 
on  other  bills. 

2.  Every  bill  which  shall  have  passed  the  House  of  Representatives  and 
the  Senate  shall,  before  it  becomes  a  law,  be  presented  to  the  President  of  the 
United  States ;  if  he  approve,  he  shall  sign  it ;  but  if  not,  he  shall  return  it, 
with  his  objections,  to  that  house  in  which  it  shall  have  originated,  who  shall 
enter  the  objections  at  large  on  their  journal  and  proceed  to  reconsider  it. 
If,  after  such  reconsideration,  two-thirds  of  that  house  shall  agree  to  pass  the 
bill,  it  shall  be  sent,  together  with  the  objections,  to  the  other  house  ;  and  if 
approved  by  two-thirds  of  that  house,  it  shall  become  a  law.  But  in  all  such 
cases  the  votes  of  both  houses  shall  be  determined  by  yeas  and  nays ;  and  the 
names  of  the  persons  voting  for  and  against  the  bill  shall  be  entered  on  the 
journals  of  each  house  respectively.  If  any  bill  shall  not  be  returned  by  the 
President  within  ten  days  (Sundays  excepted)  after  it  shall  have  been  presented 
to  him,  the  same  shall  be  a  law,  in  like  manner  as  if  he  had  signed  it,  unless 
Congress,  by  their  adjournment,  prevent  its  return  ;  in  which  case  it  shall  not 
be  a  law. 

3.  Every  order,  resolution,  or  vote,  to  which  the  concurrence  of  the  Sen- 
ate  and  House  of  Representatives  may  be  necessary  (except  on  a  question  of 
adjournment)  shall  be  presented  to  the  President  of  the  United  States,  and 
before  the  same  shall  take  effect  shall  be  approved  by  him  or,  being  disap- 
proved by  him,  shall  be  repassed  by  two-thirds  of  the  Senate  and   House  of 


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400 


CONSTITUTION  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


Representatives,  according  to  the  rules  and  limitations  prescribed  in  the  case 
of  a  bill. 

Sec.  VIII. — ^The  Congress  shall  have  power — 

1.  To  lay  and  collect  taxes,  duties,  imposts,  and  excises;  to  pay  the 
debts  and  provide  for  the  common  defense  and  general  welfare  of  the  United 
States :  but  all  duties,  imposts,  and  excises  shall  be  uniform  throughout  the 
United  States  : 

2.  To  borrow  money  on  the  credit  of  the  United  States : 

3.  To  regulate  commerce  with  foreign  nations,  and  among  the  several 
States,  and  with  the  Indian  tribes : 

4.  To  establish  a  uniform  rule  of  naturalization,  and  uniform  laws  on  the 
subject  of  bankruptcies,  throughout  the  United  States : 

5.  To  coin  money,  regulate  the  value  thereof,  and  of  foreign  coin,  and  fix 
the  standard  of  weights  and  measures : 

6.  To  provide  for  the  punishment  of  counterfeiting  the  securities  and 
current  coin  of  the  United  States : 

7.  To  establish  post-offices  and  post-roads  : 

8.  To  promote  the  progress  of  science  and  useful  arts,  by  securing,  for 
limited  times,  to  authors  and  inventors  the  exclusive  right  to  their  respective 
writings  and  discoveries : 

9.  To  constitute  tribunals  inferior  to  the  supreme  court : 

10.  To  define  and  punish  piracies  and  felonies  committed  on  the  high 
seas,  and  ofifenses  against  the  law  of  nations: 

11.  To  declare  war,  grant  letters  of  marque  and  reprisal,  and  make  rules 
concerning  captures  on  land  and  water : 

12.  To  raise  and  support  armies  ;  but  no  appropriation  of  money  to  that 
use  shall  be  for  a  longer  term  than  two  years : 

13.  To  provide  and  maintain  a  navy: 

14.  To  make  rules  for  the  government  and  regulation  of  the  land  and 
naval  forces : 

15.  To  provide  for  calling  forth  the  militia  to  execute  the  laws  of  the 
Union,  suppress  insurrections,  and  repel  invasions : 

16.  To  provide  for  organizing,  arming,  and  disciplining  the  militia,  and 
/or  governing  such  part  of  them  as  may  be  employed  in  tiie  service  of  the 
United  States,  reserving  to  the  States  respectively  the  appointment  of  the 
officers,  and  the  authority  of  training  the  militia,  according  to  the  discipline 
prescribed  by  Congress : 

17.  To  exercise  exclusive  legislation,  in  all  cases  whatsoever,  over  such 
district  (not  exceeding  ten  miles  square)  as  may  by  cessionof  particular  States, 
and  the  acceptance  of  Congress,  become  the  seat  of  government  of  the  United 
States,  and  to  exercise  like  authority  over  all  places  purchased  by  the  consent 
of  the  legislature  of  the  State  in  which  the  same  shall  be,  for  the  erection  of 
forts,  magazines,  arsenals,  dock-yards,  and  other  needful  buildings :  And, 

18.  To  make  all  laws  which  shall  be  necessary  and  proper  for  carrying 
into  execution  the  foregoing  powers,  and  all  other  powers  vested  by  this  con- 


CONSTITUTION  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


401 


stitution  in  the  government  of  the  United  States,  or  in  any  department  or 
officer  thereof. 

Sec.  IX. — I.  The  migration  or  importation  of  such  persons  as  any  of  the 
States,  now  existing,  shall  think  proper  to  admit,  shall  not  be  prohibited  by 
the  Congress  prior  to  the  year  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  eight ;  but  a 
tax  or  duty  may  be  imposed  on  such  importations,  not  exceeding  ten  dollars 
for  each  person. 

2.  The  privilege  of  the  writ  of  habeas  corpus  shall  not  be  suspended, 
unless  when,  in  cases  of  rebellion  or  invasion,  the  public  safety  may  require 
it. 

3.  No  bill  of  attainder,  or  ex  post  facto  law,  shall  be  passed. 

4.  No  capitation  or  other  direct  tax  shall  be  laid,  unless  in  proportion  to 
the  census  or  enumeration  herein  before  directed  to  be  taken. 

5.  No  tax  or  duty  shall  be  laid  on  articles  exported  from  any  State.  No 
preference  shall  be  given,  by  any  regulation  of  commerce  or  revenue,  to  the 
ports  of  one  State  over  those  of  another  ;  nor  shall  vessels  bound  to  or  from 
one  State  be  obliged  to  enter,  clear,  or  pay  duties  in  another. 

6.  No  money  shall  be  drawn  from  the  treasury,  but  in  consequence  of 
appropriations  made  by  law ;  and  a  regular  statement  and  account  of  the 
receipts  and  expenditures  of  all  public  money  shall  be  published  from  time  to 
time. 

7.  No  title  of  nobility  shall  be  granted  by  the  United  States ;  and  no 
person  holding  any  office  of  profit  or  trust  under  them  shall,  without  the 
consent  of  the  Congress,  accept  of  any  present,  emolument,  office,  or  title  of 
any  kind  whatever,  from  any  king,  prince,  or  foreign  State. 

Sec.  X. — I.  No  State  shall  enter  into  any  treaty,  alliance,  or  confed- 
eration ;  grant  letters  of  marque  and  reprisal ;  coin  money ;  emit  bills  of 
credit ;  make  anything  but  gold  and  silver  coin  a  tender  in  payment  of  debts ; 
pass  any  bill  of  attainder,  ex  post  facto  law,  or  law  impairing  the  obligation  of 
contracts ;  or  grant  any  title  of  nobility. 

2.  No  State  shall,  without  the  consent  of  Congress,  lay  any  imposts  or 
duties  on  imports  or  exports,  except  what  may  be  absolutely  necessary  for 
executing  its  inspection  laws  ;  and  the  net  produce  of  all  duties  and  imposts 
laid  by  any  State  on  imports  or  exports,  shall  be  for  the  use  of  the  treasury 
of  the  United  States ;  and  all  such  laws  shall  be  subject  to  the  revision  and 
control  of  the  Congress.  No  State  shall,  without  the  consent  of  Congress, 
lay  any  duty  on  tonnage,  keep  troops  or  ships  of  war  in  time  of  peace,  enter 
into  any  agreement  or  compact  with  another  State  or  with  a  foreign  power, 
or  engage  in  war,  unless  actually  invaded,  or  in  such  imminent  danger  as  will 
not  admit  of  delay. 


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ARTICLE  XL 


Sec.  I. — I.  The  executive  power  shall  be  vested  in  a  President  of  the 
United  States  of  America.     He  shall  hold  his  office  during  the  term  of  foui 


402 


CONSTITUTION  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


years,  and,  together  with  the  Vice-President,  chosen  for  the  same  term,  be 
elected  as  follows : 

2.  Each  State  shall  appoint,  in  such  manner  as  the  legislature  thereof 
may  direct,  a  number  of  electors,  equal  to  the  whole  number  of  senators  and 
representatives  to  which  the  State  may  be  entitled  in  the  Congress ;  but  no 
senator  or  representative,  or  person  holding  an  office  of  trust  or  profit  under 
the  United  States,  shall  be  appointed  an  elector. 

3.  [Annulled.     See  Amendments,  art.   12.] 

4.  The  Congress  may  determine  the  time  of  choosing  the  electors,  and  the 
day  on  which  they  shall  give  their  votes,  which  day  shall  be  the  same 
t^-oughout  the  United  States. 

5.  No  person  except  a  natural-born  citizen,  or  a  citizen  of  the  United 
States  at  the  time  of  the  adoption  of  this  constitution,  shall  be  eligible  to  the 
office  of  President ;  neither  shall  any  person  be  eligible  to  that  office  who 
shall  not  have  attained  the  age  of  thirty-five  years,  and  been  fourteen  years  a 
resident  within  the  United  States. 

6.  In  case  of  the  removal  of  the  President  from  office,  or  of  his  death, 
resignation,  or  inability  to  discharge  the  powers  and  duties  of  said  office,  the 
same  shall  devolve  on  the  Vice-President ;  and  the  Congress  may  by  law 
provide  for  the  case  of  removal,  death,  resignation,  or  inability,  both  of  the 
President  and  Vice-President,  declaring  what  officer  shall  then  act  as  President, 
and  such  officer  shall  act  accordingly,  until  the  disability  be  removed,  or  a 
President  shall  be  elected. 

7.  The  President  shall,  at  stated  times,  receive  for  his  services  a  com- 
pensation which  shall  neither  be  increased  nor  diminished  during  the  period 
for  which  he  shall  have  been  elected  ;  and  he  shall  not  receive,  within  that 
period,  any  other  emolument  from  the  United  States,  or  any  of  them. 

8.  Before  he  enter  on  the  execution  of  his  office,  he  shall  take  the  follow- 
ing  oath  or  affirmation  : — 

"  I  do  solemnly  swear  (or  affirm)  that  I  will  faithfully  execute  the  office 
of  President  of  the  United  States,  and  will,  to  the  best  of  my  ability, 
preserve,  protect,  and  defend  the  constitution  of  the  United  States." 

Sec.  II. — I.  The  President  shall  be  commander-in-chief  of  the  army 
and  navy  of  the  United  States,  and  of  the  militia  of  the  several  States,  when 
called  into  the  actual  service  of  the  United  States:  he  may  require  the 
opinion,  in  writing,  of  the  principal  officer  in  each  of  the  executive  depart- 
ments upon  any  subject  relating  to  the  duties  of  their  respective  offices  ;  and 
he  shall  have  power  to  grant  reprieves  and  pardons  for  offenses  against  the 
United  States,  except  in  cases  of  impeachment. 

2.  He  shall  have  power,  by  and  with  the  advice  and  consent  of  the  Sen- 
ate, to  make  treaties,  provided  two-thirds  of  the  senators  present  concur ;  and 
he  shall  nominate,  and  by  and  with  the  advice  and  consent  of  the  Senate  shall 
appoint,  ambassadors,  other  public  ministers,  and  consuls,  judges  of  the 
supreme  court,  and  all  other  officers  of  the  United  States  whose  appoint- 
ments are  not  herein  otherwise  provided  for,  and  which  shall  be  established 


CONSTITUTION  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


403 


by  law.  But  the  Congress  may,  by  law,  vest  the  appointment  of  such  inferior 
officers  as  they  think  proper  in  the  President  alone,  in  the  courts  of  law,  or  in 
the  heads  of  departments. 

3.  The  President  shall  have  power  to  fill  up  all  vacancies  that  may 
happen  during  the  recess  of  the  Senate,  by  granting  commissions,  which  shall 
expire  at  the  end  of  their  next  session. 

Sec.  III. — He  shall,  from  time  to  time,  give  to  the  Congress  informa- 
tion of  the  state  of  the  Union,  and  recommend  to  their  consideration  such 
measures  as  he  shall  judge  necessary  and  expedient  ;  he  may,  on  extraordi. 
nary  occasions,  convene  both  houses,  or  either  of  them,  and  in  case  of  disa- 
greement between  them  with  respect  to  the  time  of  adjournment,  he  may 
adjourn  them  to  such  time  as  he  shall  think  proper ;  he  shall  receive  ambassa- 
dors, and  other  public  ministers  ;  he  shall  take  care  that  the  laws  be  faithfully 
executed  ;  and  shall  commission  all  the  officers  of  the  United  States. 

Sec.  IV. — The  President,  Vice-President,  and  all  civil  officers  of  the 
United  States,  shall  be  removed  from  office  on  impeachment  for,  and  convic- 
tion of,  treason,  bribery,  or  other  high  crimes  and  misdemeanors. 


ARTICLE  III. 

Sec.  I. — The  judicial  power  of  the  United  States  shall  be  vested  in  one 
supreme  court,  and  in  such  inferior  courts  as  the  Congress  may,  from  time  to 
time,  ordain  and  establish.  The  judges,  both  of  the  supreme  and  inferior 
courts,  shall  hold  their  offices  during  good  behavior,  and  shall,  at  stated 
times,  receive  for  their  services  a  compensation  which  shall  not  be  diminished 
during  their  continuance  in  office. 

Sec.  II. — I.  The  judicial  power  shall  extend  to  all  cases  in  law  and 
equity  arising  under  this  constitution,  the  laws  of  the  United  States,  and 
treaties  made,  or  which  shall  be  made,  under  their  authority ;  to  all  cases 
affecting  ambassadors,  and  other  public  ministers,  and  consuls;  to  all  cases  of 
admiralty  and  maritime  jurisdiction  ;  to  controversies  to  which  the  United 
States  shall  be  a  party;  to  controversies  between  two  or  more  States; 
between  a  State  and  citizens  of  another  State  ;  between  citizens  of  different 
States ;  between  citizens  of  the  same  State,  claiming  lands  under  grants  of 
different  States,  and  between  a  State,  or  the  citizens  thereof,  and  foreign 
States,  citizens  or  subjects. 

2.  In  all  cases  affecting  ambassadors,  other  public  ministers,  and  consuls 
and  those  in  which  a  State  shall  be  a  party,  the  supreme  court  shall  have 
original  jurisdiction.  In  all  other  cases  before  mentioned,  the  supreme  court 
shall  have  appellate  jurisdiction,  both  as  to  law  and  fact,  with  such  exceptions, 
and  under  such  regulations,  as  the  Congress  shall  make. 

3.  The  trial  of  all  crimes,  except  in  cases  of  impeachment,  shall  be  by 
jury ;  and  such  trial  shall  be  held  in  the  State  where  the  said  crimes  shall  have 
been  committed ;  but  when  not  committed  within  any  State,  the  trial  shall  be 
at  such  a  place  or  places  as  the  Congress  may  by  law  have  directed. 


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CONSTITUTION  OF  THL  UNITED  STATES. 


Sec.  III. — I.  Treason  against  the  United  States  shall  consist  only  in 
levying  war  against  them,  or  in  adhering  to  their  enemies,  giving  them  aid 
and  comfort.  No  person  shall  be  convicted  of  treason,  unless  on  the  testi 
mony  of  two  witnesses  to  the  same  overt  act,  or  confessions  in  open  court. 

2.  The  Congress  shall  have  power  to  declare  the  punishment  of  treason  ; 
but  no  attainder  of  treason  shall  work  corruption  of  blood,  or  forfeiture,  except 
during  the  life  of  the  person  attainted. 

ARTICLE  IV. 

Sec.  I. — Full  faith  md  credit  shall  be  given  in  each  State  to  the  public 
acts,  records,  and  judicial  proceedings  of  every  other  State.  And  the  Con- 
gress may,  by  general  laws,  prescribe  the  manner  in  which  such  acts,  records, 
and  proceedings  shall  be  proved,  and  the  effect  thereof. 

Sec.  II. — I.  The  citizens  of  each  State  shall  be  entitled  to  all  privileges 
and  immunities  of  citizens  in  the  several  States. 

2.  A  person  charged  in  any  State  with  treason,  felony,  or  other  crime, 
who  shall  flee  from  justice,  and  be  found  in  another  State,  shall,  on  demand 
of  the  executive  authority  of  the  State  from  which  he  fled,  be  delivered  up  to 
be  removed  to  the  State  having  jurisdiction  of  the  crime. 

3.  No  person  held  to  service  or  labor  in  one  State,  under  the  laws  thereof, 
escaping  into  another,  shall,  in  consequence  of  any  law  or  regulation  therein, 
be  discharged  from  such  service  or  labor,  but  shall  be  delivered  upon  claim 
of  the  party  to  whom  such  service  or  labor  may  be  due. 

Sec.  III. — I.  New  States  may  be  admitted  by  the  Congress  into  this 
Union,  but  no  new  State  shall  be  formed  or  erected  within  the  jurisdiction  of 
any  other  State ;  nor  any  State  be  formed  by  the  junction  of  two  or  more 
States,  or  parts  of  States,  without  the  consent  of  the  legislature  of  the  States 
concerned,  as  well  as  of  the  Congress. 

2,  The  Congress  shall  have  power  to  dispose  of  and  make  all  needful 
rules  and  regulations  respecting  the  territory  or  other  property  belonging  to 
the  United  States ;  and  nothing  in  this  constitution  shall  be  so  construed  as 
to  prejudice  any  claims  of  the  United  States,  or  of  any  particular  State. 

Sec.  IV. — The  United  States  shall  guarantee  to  every  State  of  this  Union 
a  republican  form  of  government,  and  shall  protect  each  of  them  against 
invasion,  and,  on  application  of  the  legislature,  or  of  the  executive  (when  the 
legislature  can  not  be  convened),  against  domestic  violence. 


ARTICLE  V. 

The  Congress,  whenever  two-thirds  of  both  houses  shall  deem  it  necessary. 
shall  propose  amendments  to  this  constitution,  or,  on  the  application  of  tlu 
legislatures  of  two-thirds  of  the  several  States,  shall  call  a  convention  for  pro- 
posing amendments,  which,  in  either  case,  shall  be  valid  to  all  intents  and 
purposes,  as  part  of  this  constitution,  when  ratified  by  the  legislatures  of  three- 


CONSTITUTION  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


405 


fourths  of  the  several  States,  or  by  conventions  in  thrce-fourthri  thereof,  as 
the  one  or  the  other  mode  of  ratification  may  be  proposed  by  the  Congress ; 
provided  that  no  amendment  which  may  be  made  prior  to  the  year  one 
thousand  eight  hundred  and  eight  shall  in  any  manner  affect  the  first  and 
fourth  clauses  in  the  ninth  section  of  the  first  article  i  and  that  no  State,  with- 
out its  consent,  shall  be  deprived  of  its  equal  suffrage  in  the  Senate. 


pr 


ARTICLE  VI. 

1.  All  debts  contracted,  and  engagements  entered  into,  before  the 
adoption  of  this  constitution,  shall  be  as  valid  against  the  United  States 
under  this  constitution  as  under  the  confederation. 

2.  This  constitution,  and  the  laws  of  the  United  States  which  shall  be 
made  in  pursuance  thereof,  and  all  treaties  made,  or  which  shall  be  made, 
under  the  authority  of  the  United  States,  shall  be  the  supreme  law  of  the 
land ;  and  the  judges  in  every  State  shall  be  bound  thereby,  anything  in  the 
constitution  or  laws  of  any  State  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding. 

3.  The  senators  and  representatives  before  mentioned,  and  the  members 
of  the  several  State  legislatures,  and  all  executive  and  judicial  officers,  both 
of  the  United  States  and  of  the  several  States,  shall  be  bound  by  an  oath  or 
affirmation  to  support  this  constitution  ;  but  no  religious  test  shall  ever  be 
required  as  a  qualification  to  any  office  or  public  trust  under  the  United 
States. 

ARTICLE  VIL 

The  ratification  of  the  conventions  of  nine  States  shall  be  sufficient  for 
the  establishment  of  this  constitution  between  the  States  so  ratifying  the 
same. 

Done  in  convention,  by  the  unanimous  consent  of  the  States  present,  the 
seventeenth  day  of  September,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand 
seven  hundred  and  eighty -seven,  and  of  the  independence  of  the  United 
States  of  America  the  twelfth.  In  witness  whereof,  we  have  hereunto 
subscribed  our  names. 

GEORGE  WASHINGTON, 

President,  and  Deputy  from  Virginia. 


NEW  HAMPSHIRE. 

John  Langdon, 
Nicholas  Oilman. 

MASSACHUSETTS. 

Nathaniel  Gorham, 
RuFus  King. 

CONNECTICUT. 

Wm.  Samuel  Johnson, 
Roger  Sherman. 


NEW  YORK. 
Alexander  Hamilton. 

NEW  JERSEY. 

William  Livingston, 
David  Brearley, 
William  Patterson, 
Jonathan  Dayton. 


f 


4o6 


CONSTITUTION  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


PENNSYLVANIA. 
Benjamin  Franklin, 
Thomas  Mifkmn, 
Robert  Morris, 
George  Clymer, 
Thomas  Fitzsimons, 
Jared  Ingersoll, 
James  Wilson, 
Gouverneur  Morris. 

DELAWARE. 
George  Read, 
Gunning  Bedford,  Jr., 
John  Dickinson, 
Richard  IUssett, 
Jacob  Broom. 

MARYLAND. 
James  M'Henry, 
Dan'l  of  St.  Tho.  Jenifek, 
Daniel  Carroll. 


VIRGINIA. 

John  Bi.air, 
James  Madison,  Jr. 

NORTH  CAROLINA, 

William  Blount, 
Rich.  Donns  Spaight, 
Hugh  Williamson. 

SOUTH  CAROLINA. 

John  Ruti.edge, 
Charles  C.  I'inckney, 
Charles   Pinckney, 
Pierce  Butler, 

GEORGIA. 

William  Few, 
Abraham  Baldwin. 


Attest,        WILLIAM   JACKSON,  Secretary. 
AMENDMENTS  TO  THE  CONSTITUTION. 

Art.  I. — Congress  shall  make  no  law  respecting  an  establishment  o! 
religion,  or  prohibiting  the  free  exercise  thereof ;  or  abridging  the  freedom  ot 
speech,  or  of  the  press  ;  or  the  right  of  the  people  peaceably  to  assemble  and 
to  petition  the  government  for  a  redress  of  grievances. 

Art.  II. — A  well-regulated  militia  being  necessary  to  the  security  of  a 
free  State,  the  right  of  the  people  to  keep  and  bear  arms  shall  not  be 
infringed. 

Art.  III. — No  soldier  shall,  in  time  of  peace,  be  quartered  in  any  house 
without  the  consent  of  the  owner,  nor  in  time  of  war  but  in  a  manner  to  be 
prescribed  by  the  law. 

Art.  IV. — The  right  of  the  people  to  be  secure  in  their  persons,  houses, 
papers,  and  effects,  against  unreasonable  searches  and  seizures,  shall  not  be 
violated ;  and  no  vi^arrants  shall  issue  but  upon  probable  cause,  supported  by 
oath  or  afifirmation,  and  particularly  describing  the  place  to  be  searched,  and 
the  persons  or  things  to  be  seized. 

Art.  V. — No  person  shall  be  held  to  answer  for  a  capital  or  otherwise 
infamous  crime,  unless  on  a  presentment  or  indictment  of  a  grand  jur}. 
except  in  cases  arising  in  the  land  or  naval  forces,  or  in  the  militia  when  i)i 
actual  service,  in  time  of  war  or  public  danger  ;  nor  shall  any  person  be  sub 
ject  for  the  same  offense  to  be  twice  put  in  jeopardy  of  life  or  limb  :  nor  shall 
be  compelled,  in  any  criminal  case,  to  be  witness  against  himself,  nor  be  de- 
prived of  life,  liberty,  or  property,  without  due  process  of  law  ;  nor  shall 
private  property  be  taken  for  public  use  without  just  compensation. 

Art.  VI. — In  all  criminal  prosecutions,  the  accused  shall  enjoy  the  right 
to  a  ppeedy  and  public  trial  by  an  impartial  jury  of  the  State  and  district 
wherein  the  crime  shall  have  been  committed,  which  district  shall  have  been 


jrr 


CONSTITITUTION  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


407 


previously  ascertained  by  law,  and  to  be  informed  of  the  nature  and  cause  ol 
the  accusation ;  to  be  confronted  with  the  witnesses  against  him ;  to  have 
compulsory  process  for  obtaining  witnesses  in  his  favor;  and  to  have  the 
assistance  of  counsel  for  his  defense. 

Art.  VII. — In  suits  of  common  law,  where  the  value  in  controversy 
shall  exceed  twenty  dollars,  the  right  of  trial  by  jury  shall  be  preserved  ;  and 
no  fact,  tried  by  a  jury,  shall  be  otherwise  reexamined  in  any  court  of  the 
United  States  than  according  to  the  rules  of  the  common  law. 

Art.  VIII.— .Excessive  bail  shall  not  be  recjuired,  nor  excessive  fines  im- 
posed, nor  cruel  and  unusual  punishments  inflicted. 

Art.  IX. — The  enumeration  in  the  constitution  of  certain  rights  shall  not 
be  construed  to  deny  or  disparage  others  retained  by  the  people. 

Art.  X. — The  powers  not  delegated  to  the  United  States  by  the  consti- 
tution, nor  prohibited  by  it  to  the  States,  are  reserved  to  the  States  rcspec- 
tively,  or  to  the  people. 

Art.  XI. — The  judicial  power  of  the  United  States  shall  not  be  con- 
strued to  extend  to  any  suit  in  law  or  equity  commenced  or  prosecuted 
against  one  of  the  United  States  by  citizens  of  another  State,  or  by  citizens  or 
subjects  of  any  foreign  State. 

Art.  XII. — I.  The  electors  shall  meet  in  their  respective  States,  and  vote 
by  ballot  for  President  and  Vice-President,  one  of  whom,  at  least,  shall  not  be 
an  inhabitant  of  the  same  State  with  themselves ;  they  shall  name  in  their 
ballots  the  persons  voted  for  as  President,  and  in  distinct  ballots  the  person 
voted  for  as  Vice-President ;  and  they  shall  make  distinct  lists  of  all  persons 
voted  for  as  President,  and  of  all  persons  voted  for  as  Vice-President,  and  of 
the  number  of  votes  for  each  :  which  lists  they  shall  sign  and  certify,  and 
transmit,  sealed,  to  the  seat  of  the  government  of  the  United  States, 
directed  to  the  president  of  the  Senate.  The  president  of  the  Senate  shall,  in 
the  presence  of  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives,  open  all  the 
certificates,  and  the  votes  shall  then  be  counted  ;  the  person  having  the 
greatest  number  of  votes  for  President  shall  be  President,  if  such  number  be  a 
majority  of  the  whole  number  of  electors  appointed  ;  and  if  no  person  have 
such  majority,  then  from  the  persons  having  the  highest  number,  not  exceed- 
ing three,  on  the  list  of  those  voted  for  as  President,  the  House  of  Represen' 
tatives  shall  choose  immediately,  by  ballot,  the  President.  But,  in  choosing 
the  President,  the  votes  shall  be  taken  by  States,  the  representation  from  each 
State  having  one  vote  ;  a  quorum  for  this  purpose  shall  consist  of  a  member 
or  members  from  two-thirds  of  the  States,  and  a  majority  of  all  the  States 
shall  be  necessary  to  a  choice.  And  if  the  House  of  Representatives  shall  not 
choose  a  President,  whenever  the  right  of  choice  shall  devolve  upon  them, 
before  the  fourth  day  of  March  next  following,  then  the  Vice-President  shall 
act  as  President,  as  in  the  case  of  the  death  or  other  constitutional  disability  of 
the  President. 

2.  The  person  having  the  greatest  number  of  votes  as  Vice-President 
shall  be  the  Vice-President,  if  such  number  be  a   majority  of  the  whole 


M 


4o8 


CONSTITUTION  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


number  of  electors  appointed ;  and  if  no  person  have  a  majority,  then  from 
the  two  highest  numbers  on  the  list  the  Senate  shall  choose  the  Vice-Presi- 
dent; a  quorum  for  the  purpose  shall  consist  of  two-thirds  of  the  whole 
number  of  senators,  and  a  majority  of  the  whole  number  shall  be  necessary 
to  a  choice. 

3.  But  no  person  constitutionally  ineligible  to  the  office  of  President  shall 
be  eligible  to  that  of  Vice-President  of  the  United  States. 

Art.  XIII. — I.  Neither  slavery  nor  involuntary  servitude,  except  as  a 
punishment  for  crime,  whereof  the  party  shall  have  been  duly  convicted, 
shall  exist  within  the  United  States,  or  any  place  subject  to  their  jurisdiction. 

2.  Congress  shall  have  power  to  enforce  this  article  by  appropriate  legis- 
lation. 

Art.  XIV. — l.  All  persons  born  or  naturalized  in  the  United  States, 
and  subject  to  the  jurisdiction  thereof,  are  citizens  of  the  United  States  and 
of  the  State  wherein  they  reside.  No  State  shall  make  or  enforce  any  law 
which  shall  abridge  the  privileges  or  immunities  of  citizens  of  the  United 
States  ;  nor  shall  any  State  deprive  any  person  of  life,  liberty,  or  property, 
without  due  process  of  law,  nor  deny  to  any  person  within  its  jurisdiction  the 
equal  protection  of  the  laws. 

2.  Representatives  shall  be  appointed  among  the  several  States  accord- 
ing to  their  respective  numbers,  counting  the  whole  number  of  persons  i:) 
each  State,  excluding  Indians  not  taxed.  But  when  the  right  to  vote  at  any 
election  for  the  choice  of  electors  for  President  and  Vice-President  of  tlio 
United  States,  representatives  in  Congress,  the  executive  or  judicial  officers 
of  a  State,  or  the  members  of  the  Legislature  thereof,  is  denied  to  any  of 
the  male  inhabitants  of  such  State,  being  twenty-one  years  of  age,  and 
citizens  of  the  United  States,  or  in  any  way  abridged,  except  for  participation 
in  rebellion  or  other  crime,  the  basis  of  representation  therein  shall  be 
reduced  in  the  proportion  which  the  number  of  such  male  citizens  shall  bear 
to  the  whole  number  of  male  citizens  twenty-one  years  of  age  in  such  State. 

3.  No  person  shall  be  a  senator  or  representative  in  Congress,  or  elector 
of  President  and  Vice-President,  or  hold  any  office,  civil  or  military,  under  the 
United  States,  or  under  any  State,  who  having  previously  taken  an  oath  as  a 
member  of  Congress,  or  as  an  officer  of  the  United  States,  or  as  a  member  of 
any  State  Legislature,  or  as  an  executive  or  judicial  officer  of  any  State,  to 
support  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States,  shall  have  engaged  in  insurrec 
tion  or  rebellion  against  the  same,  or  given  aid  or  comfort  to  the  enemies 
thereof.  But  Congress  may,  by  a  vote  of  two-thirds  of  each  house,  remove 
such  disability. 

4.  The  validity  of  the  public  debt  of  the  United  States,  authorized  by  law, 
including  debts  incurred  for  payments  of  pensions  and  bounties  for  services 
In  suppressing  insurrection  or  rebellion,  shall  not  be  questioned.  But  neither 
the  United  States  nor  any  State  shall  assume  or  pay  any  debt  or  obligation 
incurred  in  aid  of  insurrection  or  rebellion  against  the  United  States,  or  any 


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EMANCIPATION  PROCLAMATION. 


409 


claim  for  the  loss  or  emancipation  of  any  slave ;  but  all  such  debts,  oblisa' 
tions,  and  claims  shall  be  held  illc£:;al  and  void. 

5.  Congress  shall  have  power  to  enforce,  by  appropriate  legislation,  the 
provisions  of  this  article. 

Art.  XV. — i.  The  rights  of  citizens  of  the  United  States  to  vote  shall 
not  be  denied  or  abridged  by  the  United  States,  or  by  any  State,  on  account 
of  race,  color  or  previous  condition  of  servitude. 

2.  Congress  shall  have  power  to  enforce  this  article  by  appropriate 
legislation. 


BY  THE   PRESIDENT  OF  THE   UNITED  STATES  OF    AMERICA. 

Whereas,  on  the  twenty-second  day  of  September,  in  the  year  of  out 
Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  sixty-two,  a  Proclamation  was  issued 
by  the  President  of  the  United  States,  containing  among  other  things  the 
following,  tb  wit : 

"  That  on  t'^c  first  day  of  January,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand 
eight  hundred  an  sixty-three,  all  persons  held  as  slaves  within  any  State,  or 
designated  part  of  a  State,  the  people  whereof  shall  then  be  in  rebellion  against 
the  United  States,  shall  be  then,  thenceforward  and  forever  free,  and  the  exec- 
utive government  of  the  United  States,  including  the  military  and  naval 
authority  thereof,  will  recognize  and  maintain  the  freedom  of  such  persons, 
and  will  do  no  act  or  acts  to  repress  such  persons,  or  any  of  them,  in  any 
efforts  they  may  make  for  their  actual  freedom." 

"That  the  executive  will,  on  the  first  day  of  January  aforesaid,  by  proc- 
lamation, designate  the  States  and  parts  of  States,  if  any,  in  which  the  people 
thereof  respectively  shall  then  be  in  rebellion  against  the  United  States,  and 
the  fact  that  any  State,  or  the  people  thereof,  shall  on  that  day  be  in  good 
faith  represented  in  the  Congress  of  the  United  States  by  members  chosen 
thereto  at  elections  wherein  a  majority  of  the  qualified  voters  of  such  State 
shall  have  participated,  shall,  in  the  absence  of  strong  countervailing  testi- 
mony,  be  deemed  conclusive  evidence  that  such  State  and  the  people  thereof 
are  not  then  in  rebellion  against  the  United  States." 

Now,  therefore,  I,  ABRAHAM  Lincoln,  President  of  the  United  States, 
by  virtue  of  the  power  in  me  vested  as  Commander-in-chief  of  the  Army  and 
Navy  of  the  l"'nited  States,  in  time  of  actual  armed  rebellion  against  the 
authority  and  government  of  the  United  States,  and  as  a  fit  and  necessary  war 


■t 


410 


EMANCIPATION  PROCLAMATION. 


rAcasure  for  suppressing  sgiid  rebellion,  do,  on  this  first  day  of  January,  in  the 
year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  sixty-three,  and  in  accord- 
ance with  my  purpose  so  to  do,  publicly  proclaim  for  the  full  period  of  one 
hundred  days  from  the  day  the  first  above-mentioned,  order  and  designate,  as 
the  States  and  parts  of  States  wherein  the  people  thereof  respectively  are  this 
day  in  rebellion  against  the  United  States,  the  following,  to  wit : 

Arkansas,  Texas,  Louisiana  (except  the  parishes  of  St.  Bernard, 
Plaquemines,  Jefferson,  St  John,  St.  Charles,  St.  James,  Ascension,  Assump- 
tion, Terre  Bonne,  Lafourche,  St.  Mary,  St.  Martin,  and  Orleans,  including 
the  city  of  .New  Orleans),  Mississippi,  Alabama,  Florida,  Georgia,  South 
Carolina,  North  Carolina,  and  Virginia  (except  the  forty-eight  coun- 
ties designated  as  West  Virginia,  and  also  the  counties  of  Berkley,  Accomac, 
Northampton,  Elizabeth  City,  York,  Princess  Ann,  and  Norfolk,  including 
the  cities  of  Norfolk  and  Portsmouth),  and  which  excepted  parts  are,  for  the 
present,  left  precisely  as  if  this  Proclamation  were  not  issued. 

And  by  virtue  of  the  power  and  for  the  purpose  aforesaid,  I  do  order  and 
declare  that  all  persons  held  as  slaves  within  said  designated  States  and  parts 
of  States  are,  and  henceforward  shall  be  free ;  and  that  the  executive  govern- 
ment of  the  United  States,  including  the  military  and  naval  authorities  thf  re- 
of,  will  recognize  and  maintain  the  freedom  of  said  persons. 

And  I  hereby  enjoin  upon  the  people  so  declared  to  be  free,  to  abstain 
from  all  violence,  unless  in  necessary  self-defense,  and  I  recommend  to  them 
that  in  all  cases,  when  allowed,  they  labor  faithfully  for  reasonable  wages. 

And  I  further  declare  and  make  known  that  such  persons  of  suitable  con- 
dition will  be  received  into  the  armed  service  of  the  United  States  to  garrison 
forts,  positions,  stations,  and  other  places,  and  to  man  vessels  of  all  sorts  in 
said  service. 

And  upon  this  act,  sincerely  believed  to  be  an  act  of  justice,  warranted 
by  the  Constitution,  upon  military  necessity,  I  invoke  the  considerate  judg- 
ment of  mankind  and  the  gracious  favor  of  Almighty  God. 

In  testimony  whereof,  I  have  hereunto  set  my  name,  and  caused  the  seal 
of  the  United  States  to  be  affixed. 


Done  at  the  City  of  Washington,  this  first  day  of  January,  in  tJu 

[L.  S.]  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  sixty-thrct\ 

and  of  the  Independence  of  the  United  States  the  eighty-seventh. 

Abraham  Lincoln. 
By  the  President: 

William  H.  Seward, 

Secretary  of  State. 


GROVER  CLEVELAND, 


The  public  career  of  Grover  Cleveland  presents  an  example  of  rapid 
success  probably  unparalleled  in  the  history  of  public  men.  Before  his  elec- 
tion as  Governor  of  New  York  State  he  had  held  no  hrgher  office  than  that 
of  Mayor  of  Buffalo;  but  his  triumphant  victory  over  Charles  J.  Folger, 
Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  in  1882,  placing  him  at  the  head  of  the  Empire 
State  by  a  majority  of  nearly  two  hundred  thousand  votes,  and  his  successful 
administration  gave  him  the  prestige  which  placed  him  in  the  proud  position 
he  now  fills  as  President.  He  was  born 
at  Caldwell,  Essex  County,  New  Jersey, 
March  18,  1837.  His  father  was  a  min- 
ister. After  receiving  a  common-school 
education  young  Cleveland  was  sent  to  the 
academy  situated  at  Clinton,  Oneida  Coun- 
ty, N.  Y.  Upon  leaving  this  seat  of  learn- 
ing he  went  to  New  York  City,  where  he 
filled  the  position  of  clerk  in  an  institution 
of  charity.  He  is  next  heard  of  making  his 
way  to  Cleveland,  Ohio  ;  but  visiting,  while 
on  the  way,  an  uncle  residing  in  Buffalo,  he 
was  induced  to  remain  in  that  city  as  clerk 
in  the  store  of  his  relative.  He  was  eighteen 
years  of  age  at  the  time,  an  ambitious  young 
fellow,  possessed  of  the  earnest  desire  to  be- 
come a  successful  lawyer,  and  we  soon  find 
the  youth  a  clerk  in  the  office  of  a  promi- 
nent law  firm.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
in  1859.  His  first  political  office  was  as  As- 
sistant District  Attorney  for  the  County  of 
Erie,  under  C.  C.  Torrance.  He  held  the 
position  three  years,  until  the  end  of  his  superior's  term  of  office,  when  he 
was  nominated  for  District  Attorney  on  the  Democratic  ticket,  but  was 
defeated.  In  1870  he  was  elected  Sheriff  of  Erie  County;  and  in  1881  was 
elected  Mayor  of  Buffalo  by  a  decided  majority.  In  the  fall  election  of 
1882  Mr.  Cleveland  was  elected  Governor  of  New  York.  His  administration 
gave  great  satisfaction.  He  began  his  Presidential  term  supported  by  the 
good-will  of  all  classes  throughout  the  nation. 


GROVER  CLEVELAND. 


THOMAS  A.  HENDRICKS, 


Thomas  A.  Hendricks  was  born  in  Ohio  on  the  7th  of  September, 
18 19.  He  was  graduated  from  South  Hanover  College  in  that  State  in 
1840,  when  he  removed  to  Chambersburg,  Pa.,  and  began  the  study  of  law. 
When  admitted  to  the  bar  his  career  opened  auspiciously,  and  he  became  a 
lawyer  of  excellent  standing.  In  1848  he  was  elected  to  the  State  Legisla- 
ture, and  in  1850  was  a  delegate  to  the  State  Constitutional  Convention. 
The  next  year  he  was  elected  to  the  Mouse  of  Representatives,  and  in   1853 

his  term  expired.  He  was  appointed  Com- 
missioner of  the  General  Land  Office  by 
President  Pierce,  and  from  this  on  he  has 
been  one  of  the  most  important  political 
characters  in  Indiana.  In  i860  he  ran  for 
Governor  against  Henry  S.  Lane,  and  was 
defeated.  He  was  elected  to  the  United 
States  Senate  in  1863  for  the  long  term. 
Here  he  served  with  marked  ability  in  the 
Committees  on  Claims,  Public  Buildings 
and  Grounds,  the  Judiciary,  Public  Lands, 
and  Naval  Affairs.  After  leaving  the  Sen- 
ate in  1869  he  practised  law  until  1872. 
He  was  then  elected  Governor  of  the  State 
by  a  majority  of  1,148. 

His  name  was  presented  to  the  Con- 
vention in  1868  as  candidate  for  the  Presi 
dency.  Again,  in  1872,  he  was  proposed 
as  a  candidate  in  the  National  Convention, 
and  but  for  the  fusions  of  that  time  he 
would  probably  have  been  the  nominee  of 
his  party.  He  was  nominated  for  Vice- 
President  in  1876,  and  between  that  memorable  contest  and  his  nomination 
and  election  to  the  Vice-Presidency  in  1884  his  professional  duties  engrossed 
the  greater  part  of  his  attention.  Mr.  Hendricks  was  a  skilful  public  speaker 
and  a  learned  lawyer,  and  his  services  as  a  statesman  gave  him  an  honorable 
position  among  public  men. 

He  was  married  near  Cincinnati  on  the  25th  of  September,  1845,  to  Miss 
Eliza  C.  Morgan,  by  whom  he  had  one  son,  born  in  1848,  but  who  lived  to 
be  only  three  years  of  age.  The  sudden  death  of  Mr.  Hendricks  in  the  fall  of 
1885,  cast  a  gloom  over  the  entire  country. 


THOMAS  A.  HENDRICKS. 


Twenty-third  President. 

Born  in  North  Bend,  Ohio,  August  20,  1S33.  Grandson  of  Gen.  IVilliain  Ileiii . 
Ilurriso:i,  ninth  President,  Graduated  at  Miami  University,  1852.  Admitted  to  the  Ini: 
in  Cincinnati,  and  settled  in  Indianapolis,  1854.  Elected  Reporter  cf  the  Indiann  Supreme 
Court,  i860.  Entered  the  Union  Army  as  Colonel  of  the  Seventieth  Indiana  Volunteer 
Infantry,  1S62  ;  7vas  brcvetted  Brigadier-General,  February,  1865  ;  mustered  out  of  the 
service,  jfune,  1865.  While  in  the  field,  October,  1864,  -ums  re-elected  Supreme  Court  Re- 
porter;  served  four  years.  Defeated  as  Republican  candidate  for  Governor  of  Indiana,  1876. 
Appointed  member  of  the  Mississippi  River  Commission,  1879.  Elected  U.  S.  Senator, 
1S80.  Elected  President  of  the  United  Stales,  Xovember,  1888.  Vice-President,  Levi  P 
Alorton,     Inaugurated  March  ^,  iSSy 


H 


Land  L 

within 

current 

All  : 

their  na 

or  natio; 

poets,  o 

the  Kni| 

ed  undei 

inauspici 

tentious 

start  oul 

ulated    I 

amount 

Knights 

tion,   cer 

men  wen 

Never  die 

such  unfa 

that  it  di( 

Two  r 

Order  of  t 


HISTORY  AND  CONSTITUTION  OF  THE 
KNIGHTS  or  LABOR. 

HAT  vast  industrial  organization,  known  to  the  world  as 
the  Knights  of  Labor,  is  one  of  the  wonders  of  the  age. 
Eighteen  years  ago  it  was  not  yet  in  existence ;  six  years 
ago  it  was  weak  and  unknown ;  to-day  it  has  a  net- 
work of  organizations  which  cover  the  American  con- 
tinent. It  has  found  lodgment  in  France,  Belgium,  and 
England.  Knights  of  Labor  can  be  found  on  the  five 
continents.  The  Order  has  been  accorded  an  amount  of  atten- 
tion seldom  given  to  any  organization  ;  and  it  can  be  said 
without  exaggeration  that  it  is  exerting  a  greater  influence  on 
material  affairs  and  public  opinion  than  any  other  organization 
in  existence.  The  Chartist  movement  in  England  sprang  into 
existence,  accomplished  an  object,  and  djed.  The  Repeal 
movement  in  Ireland  was  the  concrete  expression  of  a  people 
groaning  under  oppression.  It  passed  away.  The  Anti-Slavery 
Leagues  of  America  were  the  outgrowth  of  decades  of  agita- ' 
tion,  favored  by  fortunate  circumstances.  So  with  the  Irish 
Land  League.  It  was  born,  raised,  and  ended 
within  three  years,  after  leaving  its  mark  on 
current  history. 

All  of  these  great  movements,  similar  in 
their  nature,  were  backed  either  by  religious 
or  national  sentiments  which  were  inspired  by 
poets,  orators,  and  historians.  Not  so  with 
the  Knights  of  Labor.  That  Order  was  start- 
ed under  the  most  adverse,  commonplace,  and 
inauspicious  circumstances,  by  a  most  unpre- 
tentious set  of  workmen.  Most  organizations 
start  out  with  a  flourish  of  trumpets,  stim- 
ulated by  dclat,  ceremony,  and  a  certain 
amount  of  publicity.  In  the  case  of  the 
Knights  of  Labor  ^clat  was  out  of  the  ques- 
tion, ceremony  impossible  (for  only  seven 
men  were  present),  and  publicity  was  dreaded. 
Never  did  any  other  organization  begin  under 
such  unfavorable  conditions.  The  wonder  is 
that  it  did  not  die  before  it  was  born. 

Two  men  were  associated  in  the  work  of  bringing  the  "  Noble  and  Holy 
Order  of  the  Knights  of  Labor  "  into  existence.    The  name  and  history — evea 

(415) 


URIAH  S.  STEPHENS, 
Faunder  K.  of  L. 


4i6 


HISTORY  AND  CONSTITUTION   OF   THE 


the  existence — of  one  of  them  is  shrouded  in  mystery,  and  probably  never 
will  be  known.  The  heart,  the  soul,  and  brains  of  the  project  was  Uriah  S. 
Stephens,  a  journeyman  tailor,  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  and  a  resident  of 
Philadelphia.  He  was  an  humble,  industrious.  God-fearing  man.  Four  years 
ago  he  died  almost  unknown,  but  time  and  events  have  since  given  him  "  a 
niche  in  the  Temple  of  Fame."  The  question  has  been  asked:  Why  did  he 
start  the  Order?  He  was  an  old  trades  unionist.  When  he  reached  the  age 
of  manhood  trades  unionism  was  in  its  infancy,  and  when  he  had  reached  the 
middle  age  it  had  made  but  little  progress.  No  trade  or  labor  organization 
had  yet  become  nationalized.  He  saw  the  defects  of  the  existing  unions. 
There  was  no  concert  of  action  between  them ;  a  fraternal  feeling  was  want- 
ing ;  and  a  spirit  of  aristocracy  was  prevalent  in  union  circles.     The  printer, 

the  machinist,  the  watchmaker,  and  engineer 
looked  down  upon  men  engaged  in  the  more 
laborious  branches  of  industry.  While  all 
were  struggling  to  better  their  condition, 
none  of  them  seemed  to  be  guided  by  a 
higher  motive  than  a  desire  to  get  a  slight 
advance  of  wages. 

As  far  back  as  1861,  in  writing  to  a  fellow- 
unionist,  residing  in  New  York,  Mr.  Stephens 
said :  "  I  speak  to  you  of  unions  as  they  now 
exist.  To  be  candid  with  you,  I  will  say  that 
I  have  little  or  no  faith  in  their  power  to  raise 
the  toiler  to  the  position  he  should  occupy  in 
this  favored  land.  They  are  too  narrow  in 
their  ideas,  and  too  circumscribed  in  their 
field  of  operations.  None  of  them  look  be- 
yond a  city,  and  few  of  them  look  a  year 
ahead.  This  is  to  be  regretted.  I  do  not 
claim  to  be  gifted  with  the  power  of  proph- 
ecy, but  I  can  see  ahead  of  me  an  organization 
which  will  cover  this  globe.  It  will  include  men  and  women  of  every  craft 
and  creed  and  color ;  it  will  cover  every  race  worth  saving.  It  will  come  in 
my  time,  I  hope.  Its  groundwork  will  be  secrecy,  its  rule  obedience,  and  its 
guiding  star  will  be  mutual  assistance.  It  will  make  labor  honorable  and 
profitable,  and  lessen  its  burdens ;  it  will  make  idleness  a  crime,  render  wars 
impossible,  and  obliterate  national  lines.  Its  pioneers  will  be  denounced, 
reviled,  and  persecuted  ;  traitors  will  betray  it,  corporations  will  try  to  strangle 
it,  and  despots  will  place  their  iron  heels  upon  it ;  but  it  will  spring  up, 
blossom,  flourish,  and  eventually  cover  the  whole  earth." 

In  a  letter  which  he  subsequently  wrote  to  the  same  man,  Mr.  Stephens 
informed  him  that  he  and  a  friend  were  devoting  their  leisure  hours  in  laying 
the  groundwork  of  an  organization  such  as  he  had  spoken  of  in  his  previous 
letter.    Nothing  more  was  heard  of  the  project  until  August,  1869.     During 


HUGH  CAMERON, 
K.  of  L.  Gen.  Co-operative  Board. 


thouf 


P!* 


■F 


KNIGHTS   OF   LAIiOR. 


417 


that  month  Robert  Blissert,  the  well-known  New  York  labor  aj^itator,  who 
afterward  founded  the  New  York  Central  Labor  Union,  had  occasion  to  visit 
Philadelphia  on  business  connected  with  the  Tailors'  Union,  of  which  he  was 
a  member.  In  the  course  of  his  business  Mr.  Blisscrt  was  thrown  into  Uriah 
Stephens*  company,  lilissert  was  then  very  active  in  the  labor  movement, 
and  Mr.  Stephens  concluded  that  it  would  be  well  to  talk  the  matter  over 
with  him.  He  unfolded  his  plan  to  him.  His  intention,  he  said,  was  to  bring 
no  one  but  clothing  cutters  into  the  Order  at  first.  He  wanted  to  have  the 
clothing  trade  thoroughly  organized  at  first.  That,  he  thought,  would  take 
years,  but  he  was  willing  that  it  should.  He  was  more  anxious  for  stability 
than  extent  of  the  organization.  If  matters  went  on  as  he  hoped  for,  he 
would  then  gradually  enroll  other  branches  of  tailors.  Mr.  Blissert  advised 
him  against  such  a  policy.  He  said  an  organ- 
ization of  that  character  was  too  grand  an 
idea  to  be  confined  to  any  one  industry,  and 
he  strongly  urged  Mr.  Stephens  to  admit  to 
membersTiip  all  worthy  men,  whether  they 
worked  with  a  needle,  a  pen,  or  a  plow. 

Mr.  Stephens  had  already  consulted  several 
of  his  fellow-craftsmen  on  the  subject.  He 
thought  the  time  opportune  for  starting  the 
Knights  of  Labor.  He  was  puzzled  in  select- 
ing a  name  for  the  Order.  He  was  afraid 
that  in  a  republic  the  name  "  Knights  of 
Labor"  would  not  be  popular.  The  names 
of  the  Brotherhood  of  Labor,  the  Industrial 
League,  the  Brotherhood  of  Industry,  and 
the  Sovereigns  of  Industry  suggested  them- 
selves to  him.  He  finally  decided  upon  the 
title  the  Order  now  bears.  He  argued  that 
workingmen  had  been  called  the  "  Mudsills 
of  Society,"  and  that  the  title  of  "  Knight " 
would  serve  to  impress  upon  them  an  idea  of  the  dignity  of  labor.  He  said 
that  as  in  the  middle  ages  knights  had  been  the  protectors  of  the  defenceless, 
so,  too,  in  our  time  the  Knights  of  Labor  would  be  the  defenders  of  those  who 
needed  defence  and  who  were  worthy  of  defending.  Two  other  ideas  moved 
him.  He  was  a  hater  of  labor  strikes;  and  he  determined,  if  possible,  to 
prevent  them — to  bring  employees  and  employers  together  so  that  they  might 
settle  their  differences  by  arbitration.  He  had  seen  workingmen  pauperized 
by  strikes  and  employers  bankrupted.  He  therefore  thought  it  time  to  stop 
that  costly  sort  of  warfare.  He  was  a  firm  believer  in  co-operation,  and  he 
was  impressed  with  the  idea  that  through  organization  and  education  work- 
men might  become  their  own  employers,  and  thereby  reap  all  the  fruits  of 
their  labor.  He  had  an  abiding  faith  that  in  time  all  who  worked  for  wages, 
would  be  converted  to  his  way  of  thinking. 


JOHN  G.  CAVILLE, 

dncral  A  iiditor. 


4i8 


HISTORY  AND   CONSTITUTION   OF  THE 


These  were  thoughts  that  filled  his  mind  when  he  called  six  of  his  fellow- 
craftsmen  together  on  Thanksgiving  Day,  November,  1869,  at  his  residence  in 
Philadelphia,  There  were  only  seven  men  present  at  that  simple,  but  im- 
portant, conference.  They  were  Uriah  S.  Stephens,  James  L.  Wright,  William 
Fennimore,  Henry  L.  Sincxson,  and  three  others  whose  names  are  not  obtain- 
able. Five  of  them  have  since  died.  James  L.  Wright  still  resides  in  Phila- 
delphia, and  he  is  an  active  organizer  of  the  Order,  acting  under  the  jurisdiction 
of  District  Assembly  No.  i,  and  doing  excellent  work.  Henry  L.  Siriexson  is 
still  living.  Mr.  Stephens  unfolded  his  plans  to  them,  and  explained  them  at 
length.     Some  of  those  present  doubted  the  practicability  of  the  movement, 

but  all  agreed  to  the  desirability  of  it ;  and 
all  expressed  a  willingness  to  further  the 
organization,  for,  as  they  said,  it  was  well 
worth  trying.  Mr.  Stephens'  enthusiasm  en- 
couraged them,  and  they  left  the  house  that 
evening  full-fledged  Knights  of  Labor,  pio- 
neers of  a  new  movement,  preachers  of  a 
new  idea, 

Mr.  Stephens  impressed  upon  them  the 
absolute  necessity  of  inviolable  secrecy  re- 
garding the  movement,  saying :  "  Open  and 
public  associations  having  failed  after  a  cen- 
tury's struggle  either  to  protect  or  advance 
the  interests  of  labor,  we  constitute  this  Order 
not  to  shield  or  promote  wrong-doing,  but  to 
protect  ourselves  from  the  persecution  of  men 
in  our  own  sphere  and  calling  as  well  as  those 
out  of  it." 

The  Declaration  of  Principles,  which  are 
given  in  full  further  on,  in  the  part  of  this 
article  that  treats  of  the  first  General  Assembly,  was  the  chart  of  the  organ- 
ization. It  declares  the  objects  of  the  Order  to  be — co-operation ;  weekly  pay- 
ment of  wages;  the  abolition  of  contract  labor;  arbitration  instead  of  strikes 
in  settling  labor  troubles ;  "  equal  pay  for  men  and  women  for  equal  work  "; 
the  adoption  of  the  eight  hours'  system;  the  abolition  of  convict  contract 
labor,  of  child  labor,  and  the  formation  of  bureaus  of  labor  statistics. 

The  parent  branch  of  the  Order  was  called  the  Sons  of  Adam,  and  after- 
ward Local  Assembly  No.  i  of  the  Knights.  Its  growth  was  slow  to  a 
wearisome  degree,  because  the  greatest  care  was  taken  in  selecting  members. 
This  is  the  method  in  which  members  were  selected  :  A  man,  who  was  already 
a  member,  would  speak  in  a  guarded  manner  to  a  fellow-workman  about  the 
necessity  of  an  organization  national  in  its  scope  and  universal  in  its  aim.  If 
the  man's  replies  were  of  the  kind  expected,  and  if  he  was  deemed  worthy  of 
affiliation  in  the  Order,  he  would  be  proposed  at  a  subsequent  meeting.  A 
fommittee  would  then  be  appointed  to  investigate  his  character,  habits,  and 


JOHN  p.  McGAUGHEY, 
Secretary  Co-operative  Board. 


^r 


KNIGHTS  OF  LABOR. 


419 


his  record  as  a  union  man.  If  a  satisfactory  report  were  made  he  was  elected 
and  initiated.  He  had  to  take  a  solemn  oath  not  to  mention  the  name  of  the 
organization,  the  name  of  any  member,  nor  the  time,  place,  or  object  of 
a  meeting;  nor  the  business  done  or  proposed;  nor  its  signs,  grips,  or  pass- 
words. In  a  word,  he  was  bound  to  keep  all  knowledge  of  the  Order  from 
the  outer  world,  under  the  penalty  of  expulsion  and  social  ostracism,  "  due  to 
perjury  and  violated  honor."  Mr.  Stephens  always  insisted  upon  this  policy. 
The  saddest  day  of  his  life  was  January  i,  1882,  when  the  Order  was  made 
public  by  an  official  proclamation.  He  wept,  and  said  publicity  would  shatter 
the  organization  within  ten  years.  A  Knight  tried  to  argue  with  him,  but  he 
would  not  listen.  He  said  :  "  Brother,  it  is  useless  to  talk.  An  organization 
which  abolishes  one  of  its  fundamental  principles  cannot  live  and  prosper;  but 
I  have  hopes  that  my  brethren  will  see  their  mistake  and  return  to  the  old 
methods." 

Mr.  Stephens  was  elected  Master  Workman  of  the  pioneer  branch,  which 
is  still  in  existence  in  Philadelphia.  The  members  went  to  work  with  the  zeal 
of  apostles,  and  spert  nights  and  days  in  building  up  the  Order.  For  a  con- 
siderable period  no  one  but  clothing-cutters  and  tailors  were  admitted.  Mr. 
Stephens'  idea  was  that  it  was  better  to  spend  a  year  in  bu'''1ing  up  one  solid 
branch  than  to  form  six  weak  ones  in  half  the  time.  Shortly  after  the  Order 
was  formed,  a  convention  was  held  in  Philadelphia,  under  the  auspices  of  the 
National  Labor  Union.  Over  500  delegates,  from  all  parts  of  the  country, 
attended.  Among  them  were  Capt.  Richard  F.  Trevellick,  of  Detroit,  now  a 
foremost  Knight  of  Labor;  Robert  Blissert  and  William  Jessup,  of  New  York; 
Gen.  A.  M.  Wc^.,  of  Mississippi.  A  few  of  the  then  unknown  Knights  mixed 
among  the  delegates,  and  went  as  far  as  they  dared  in  advancing  the  claims  of 
their  organization.  Out  of  the  500  who  attended  the  convention,  probably  a 
half-doze.n  were  initiated  as  Knights.  Robert  Blissert  joined  the  Order  at  Mr. 
Stephens'  solicitation.  He  returned  to  New  York,  but  he  concluded  that  the 
time  was  not  yet  ripe  for  starting  the  Order  in  the  great  metropolis. 

A  year  from  the  time  the  Order  started,  there  were  about  four  branches  of 
it  in  Philadelphia.  The  Order  was  then  introduced  into  Camden,  N.  J.,  and  it 
crept  along  to  Glassboro,  N.  J.,  and  spread  throughout  a  considerable  portion 
of  South  New  Jersey,  principally  among  the  glass-workers. 

In  1873,  Fred.  Turner,  now  General  Secretary-Treasurer,  then  a  gold- 
beater, was  taken  in  as  member.  He  saw  at  once  the  advantages  his  craft 
would  obtain  from  connection  with  it,  and  he  accordingly  helped  to  organize 
Goldbeaters'  Local  Assembly,  No.  20,  of  Philadelphia.  Later  on,  in  the  same 
year,  he  went  to  New  York  City,  and  founded  Goldbeaters'  Assembly,  No.  28, 
which  did  not  live  long.  The  members  of  it  were  hounded  and  victimized  by 
employers,  who  seemed  to  divine  the  existence  of  the  invisible  organiza- 
tion. 

Up  to  July  15,  1873,  the  name  and  even  the  existence  of  the  Knights  of 
Labor  were  well-kept  secrets.  On  that  day  their  Declaration  of  Principles  was 
given  to  the  press,  which  gladly  published  it.    The  public  were  mystified  as 


420 


HISTORY  AND  CONSTITUTION   OF  THE 


to  the  source  from  which  the  document  emanated,  but  no  light  was  thrown 
upon  the  subject.  Whisperings  of  conspiracies,  dark-lantern  societies,  com- 
munism, etc.,  then  became  the  fashion.  The  document  awakened  the  interest 
of  the  workingmen  in  Pennsylvania,  and  the  Order  took  an  upward  bound. 
The  necessity  of  a  governing  body  then  became  manifest,  and  accordingly  a 
mass  convention  of  the  local  Assemblies  in  and  around  Philadelphia  was  called. 
The  body  decided  to  form  District  Assemblies.  On  Thanksgiving  Day, 
November,  1873,  District  No.  i  was  formed,  (so  says  Secretary  Turner's 
records).  Shortly  afterward,  District  No.  2  was  organized  in  the  Glassboro 
N.  J.,  region.  This  latter  body  began  a  bitter  and  successful  fight  against  the 
"shin-plaster"  and  "  store-order"  system  which  then  prevailed  in  the  factories 
and  mills  within  its  jurisdiction.  One  of  its  leaders  was  Thomas  M.  Ferrell,  a 
glass-worker,  whose  activity  brought  down  upon  him  the  vengeance  of  several 
grinding  corporations.  His  colleagues  sent  him  afterward  to  the  New  Jersey 
Assembly,  then  to  the  State  Senate,  and,  finally,  to  Congress. 

The  Order  spread  along  the  lines  of  the  trunk  roads  of  Pennsylvania,  reach- 
ing Scranton  in  1874,  and  Pittsburg  about  the  same  time.  It  was  in  Pittsburg 
that  the  organization  found  its  strongest  foothold,  and  its  growth  there  was 
simply  marvellous.  District  No.  3  was  then  formed,  with  a  wide  jurisdiction. 
So  far  as  can  be  learned,  it  was  the  first  district  which  became  powerful  enough 
to  pay  a  salary  to  its  Master  Workman,  and  to  keep  him  in  the  field.  It  spread 
through  the  coal  regions,  and  then  embraced  thousands  of  railroad  employes 
on  the  Philadelphia  and  Reading  Road.  Reading,  Pennsylvania,  becan 
another  stronghold,  and  the  capital  of  District  No.  4.  Organizers  went  throu^.. 
the  State,  building  up  Assemblies  wherever  possible  and  advisable.  In  the 
meantime  the  Order  had  become  a  power  in  Philadelphia.  Its  existence  had 
become  partly  known,  but  no  one  knew  where  it  met,  when  it  met,  or  who  were 
members  of  it.  No  meetings  were  ever  advertised.  A  simple  chalk-mark 
would  be  made  on  the  side-walks  of  certain  corners  of  certain  streets  in  the 
morning.  No  one  but  Knights  of  Labor  knew  what  it  meant,  but  the  result 
would  be  the  presence  of  from  5,000  to  10,000  workingmen  at  a  labor  rally  in 
the  evening.  If  any  documents  were  issued,  the  name  Knights  of  Labor  was 
not  mentioned.  Five  stars  (*  *  *  *  ^»)  would  take  the  place  of  the  title.  Every 
Knight  knew  what  it  meant.  Originally  eight  stars  were  used,  thus 
********,  signifying  the  "  Noble  and  Holy  Order  of  Knights  of  Labor." 
Philadelphia  preachers  began  to  denounce  the  unknown  organization,  politi- 
cians speculated  on  its  power,  and  certain  papers  said  that  it  should  be 
stamped  out  by  conspiracy  laws,  but  the  Order  grew  and  prospered. 

Although  it  was  an  absolutely  non-political  organization,  the  leaders  con- 
cluded that  while  they  would  not  dabble  in  politics,  yet  they  were  determined 
that  objectionable  men  should  no  longer  fill  seats  in  municipal.  State,  or 
national  councils.  In  1875  l  number  of  objectionable  candidates  for  munic- 
ipal offices,  who  had  been  nominated  by  the  dominant  parties,  were  fairly 
slaughtered  at  the  polls.  Although  not  instructed  to  do  so,  the  Knights  of 
Philadelphia  voted  as  one  man  against  them.     "  Why  ?  "  was  asked.     "  Because 


KNIGHTS  OF   LAHOR. 


421 


the  candidates  were  enemies  of  the  working  element,"  was  the  response  of  one 
of  Philadei[)hia's  gifted  journalists  in  an  editorial. 

About  this  time  the  "  Molly  Maguire  "  matter  was  uppermost  in  the  public 
mind.  The  enemies  of  the  Order  now  saw  a  chance  to  strike  at  it.  They 
linked  the  unknown  Order  with  all  the  crimes  chargcil  against  the  "  Molly 
Maguires,"  and  charged  it  with  being  the  moving  spirit  in  the  allegeil  coti- 
spiracy.  By  Jan.  i,  1877,  the  Order  had  branches  in  Pennsylvania,  Missouri, 
Ohio,  West  Virginia,  Indiana,  in  Elmira,  N.  Y.,  and  three  branches  in  New 
York  City.  There  were  about  400  locals  in  all  then  in  existence.  The  Green- 
back-Labor Pirty  was  looming  up  just  then.  Many  of  the  Knights  of  Labor 
joined  it.  They  supposed  that  it  had  come  to  stay,  and  many  of  them  con- 
cluded that  they  had  better  jump  into  and  control  it,  with  the  idea  that  if  it 
became  a  power,  they  could  force  it  to  make  their  principles  the  organic  laws 
of  the  land.  Uriah  S.  Stephens  became  an  ardent  member  of  the  party,  but 
neither  he  nor  his  companions  ever  attempted  to  lead  the  Order  into  it,  as  has 
been  charged.  Their  idea  was  not  to  form  political  parties,  but  to  control 
those  which  existed. 

The  year  1877  was  a  turning-point  in  the  history  of  the  Order.  In  some 
localities  it  had  grown  strong  enough  to  come  out  publicly.  There  were  prob- 
ably 10,000  members  of  the  Order  in  Pennsylvania  alone.  The  great  railroad 
strikes  came  on  during  the  summer  of  that  year.  Many  Knights  of  Labor 
took  part  in  them,  and  were  it  not  for  the  influence  which  they  exercised  over 
non-members  who  struck,  disasters  and  scenes  too  frightful  to  think  of  would 
have  marked  that  historic  event.  Man;  Knights  were  members  of  the  militia 
regiments  which  were  called  out  to  quell  the  trouble,  and  thanks  to  their  cool- 
ness, as  well  as  to  their  inside  knowledge  of  affairs,  that  Pittsburg  did  not 
become  a  vast  slaughter-house. 

The  outcome  of  the  strike  was  that  over  2,000  Knights  of  Labor  had  to 
leave  Pennsylvania.  They  scattered  all  over  the  West.  Although  not  com- 
missioned to  do  so,  they  began  the  work  of  forming  branches  of  the  Knights 
of  Labor  wherever  they  went.  The  organization  had  no  legally  constituted 
head  as  yet,  but  District  No.  i,  of  Philadelphia,  was  regarded  as  the  source  of 
authority.  'The  need  of  a  central  controlling  body  was  keenly  felt.  After 
considerable  correspondence  between  Mr.  Stephens,  T.  V.  Powderly,  Chas.  H. 
Litchman,  and  other  zealous  members,  it  was  decided  to  call  a  general  conven- 
tion. So  far  as  was  known,  at  the  time  of  this  contemplated  step  the  Order 
had  obtained  a  'oothold  in  New  York,  New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  Ohio, 
Indiana,  West  Virginia,  Missouri,  Massachusetts.  Colorado,  and  Illinois. 
There  were  500  local  Assemblies,  which  were  governed  by  1  5  district  Assem- 
blies.    Frederick  Turner,  of  District  No.  i,  issued  a  call  for  the  convention. 


MEETING  OF  THE  FIRST  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY  AT  READING,  PA. 

On  New  Year's  Day,  Tuesday,  January  i,  1878,  the  pioneer  delegates  to 
the  first  General  Assembly  met  at  508  Penn  Street,  Reading,  Pa.  Among 
them  were  T.  V.  Powderly,  Uriah  S.  Stephens ;   Charles  H.  Litchman,  of 


"^^w^^w^r  ^\  ■ 


422 


HISTORY  AND  CONSTITUTION   OF  THE 


Marblehead,  Mass. ;  Ralph  Beaumont,  "the  eloquent  shoemaker,"  of  Elmira ; 
John  B.  Chisholm,  of  Carbondale,  Pa. ;  Robert  Schilling,  then  of  Akron,  Ohio, 
now  of  Milwaukee.  There  were  32  delegates  in  all,  representing  15  branches 
of  industry  and  the  States  of  Pennsylvania,  New  York,  Ohio,  West  Virginia, 
Massachusetts,  and  Missouri.  There  was  i  clothing  cutter,  4  shoemakers, 
I  school  teacher,  9  coal  miners,  i  moulder,  i  engineer,  2  locomotive  engineers, 
4  machinists  (of  whom  Mr.  Powderly  was  one),  i  printer,  3  glass-workers, 
1  carpenter,  i  cooper,  i  nail  packer,  i  steam-boiler  maker,  and  1  blacksmith. 
Fred.  Turner,  a  [goldbeater,  now  General  Secretary-Treasurer,  wa:,  present,  but 
not  as  a  delegate.  Never  before,  and  hardly  ever  since  then,  has  a  more 
determined,  energetic,  or  brilliant  body  of  workingmen  assembled.  Many  of 
them  have  since  gained  national  reputations,  and  among  the  wage-earners  of 
the  world  they  are  looked  upon  in  the  same  light  that  true  Americans  look 
upon  the  signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  New  York  had  5  dele- 
gates, one  of  them  a  resident  of  Brooklyn ;  Pennsylvania  had  19 ;  Massa- 
chusetts, I  ;  Missouri,  i ;  Ohio,  4;  and  West  Virginia,  2. 

As  it  wil'  be  observed,  Pennsylvania  had  the  lion's  share  of  the  delegates, 
but  this  is  ex  jlainable  from  the  fact  that  that  State  was  the  birthplace  of  the 
Knights  of  Labor.  All  these  men  were  thoroughly  alive  to  the  importance  of 
the  work  assigned  them.  The  Convention  was  called  to  order  by  Delegate 
Thomas  King,  of  Pennsylvania,  and  Uriah  S.  Stephens  was  unanimously 
chosen  to  preside,  with  Charles  H.  Litchman,  of  Marblehead,  Mass.,  as  secre- 
tary.   The  sessions  lasted  for  four  days. 

The  great  governing  body  of  the  Order  was  formed  during  these  four 
days,  and  the  men  who  sat  in  that  General  Assembly  started  the  machinery 
which  has  since  brought  into  existence  nearly  8,000  branches  of  the  giant 
Order.  The  Resistance  Fund  was  proposed  and  adopted.  The  provisions 
concerning  it  were  that  5  cents  of  the  monthly  dues  of  each  member  of 
each  local  Assembly  should  be  set  aside  in  care  of  each  local  Treasurer. 
This  is  the  fund  which  was  afterward  reserved  for  the  support  of  men  on 
strike,  and  8,000  local  Assemblies  now  have  a  similar  fund  to  draw  upon  in 
cases  of  n'^cessity. 

Another  important  matter  was  discussed.  Some  delegates  were  anxious 
to  have  the  name  and  existence  of  the  Order  made  public.  There  was  strong 
opposition  to  the  idea,  however.  Finally,  to  test  the  matter,  Charles  H. 
Litchman,  of  Massachusetts,  proposed  that  the  Order  should  be  made  public. 
Only  5  delegates  voted  in  favor  of  the  motion,  while  Messrs.  Powderly,  Beau- 
mont, and  Litchman,  with  19  of  their  colleagues,  voted  against  it.  Uriah  S. 
Stephens,  who  had  gone  back  to  Philadelphia  on  the  previous  day,  would 
have  voted  against  publicity  had  he  been  present. 

It  may  be  well  to  explain  this  vote.  At  that  time  labor  organizations  were 
comparatively  few  and  weak.  The  country  was  then  recovering  from  the 
paralyzing  effects  of  the  panic,  and  work  was  not  easily  obtained.  Trades 
unions  were  unpopular,  and  thousands  of  Knights  of  Labor  feared  that  if  the 
Order  was  made  public,  their  connection  with  it  would  be  discovered,  and 


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KNIGHTS  OF   LABOR. 


423 


they  would  be  black-listed  by  their  employers.  And  it  may  be  said  that 
their  fears  were  well  founded,  because  thousands  of  Knights  have  been  sent 
on  tramp  because  they  were  Knights.  Other  considerations  prompted  the 
opposition  to  publicity.  The  members  were  afraid  that  politicians  would  try 
to  capture  the  organization.  Again,  Mr.  Stephens  believed  that  secrecy 
would  make  the  Order  invincible. 

The  great  work  of  the  General  Assembly  was  the  formulation  of  the 
Declaration  of  Principles.  The  best  minds  of  that  body  were  taxed  in 
building  the  document  which  is  the  chart  and  ^uide  for  the  toilers  who  were 
then  and  who  have  since  become  Knights  of  Labor.  The  platform  adopted 
was  rather  brief.  Since  then  additions  have  been  made  to  it.  For  con- 
venience sake,  the  platform  as  it  now  stands,  which  includes  all  of  the 
original  one  and  the  amendments  thereto,  is  given  below : 


DECLARATION  OF  PRINCIPLES. 

The  alarming  development  and  aggressiveness  of  great  capitalists  and 
corporations,  unless  checked,  will  inevitably  lead  to  the  pauperization  and 
hopeless  degradation  of  the  toiling  masses. 

It  is  imperative,  if  we  desire  to  enjoy  the  full  blessings  of  life,  that  a  check 
be  placed  upon  unjust  accumulation  and  the  power  for  evil  of  aggregated 
wealth. 

This  much-desired  object  can  be  accomplished  only  by  the  united  efforts  of 
those  who  obey  the  Divine  injunction,  "  In  the  sweat  of  thy  face  shalt  thou 
eat  bread." 

Therefore  we  have  formed  the  Order  of  Knights  of  Labor,  for  the  purpose 
of  organizing  and  directing  the  power  of  the  industrial  masses,  not  as  a  political 
party,  for  it  is  more — in  it  are  crystallized  sentiments  and  measures  for  the 
whole  people — but  it  should  be  borne  in  mind,  when  exercising  the  right  of 
suffrage,  that  most  of  the  objects  herein  set  forth  can  only  be  obtained  through 
legislation,  and  that  it  is  the  duty  of  all  to  assist  in  nominating  and  supporting 
with  their  votes  only  such  candidates  as  will  pledge  their  support  to  those 
measures,  regardless  of  party.  But  no  one  shall,  however,  be  compelled  to 
vote  with  the  majority,  and  calling  upon  all  who  believe  in  securing  "the 
greatest  good  to  the  greatest  number "  to  join  and  assist  us,  we  declare  to 
the  world  that  our  aims  are : 

1.  To  make  industrial  and  moral  worth,  not  wealth,  the  true  standard  of 
individual  and  national  greatness. 

2.  To  secure  to  the  workers  the  full  enjoyment  of  the  wealth  they  create; 
sufficient  leisure  in  which  to  develop  their  intellectual,  moral,  and  social 
faculties;  all  of  the  benefits,  recreation,  and  pleasures  of  association;  in  a 
word,  to  enable  them  to  share  in  the  gains  and  honors  of  advancing  civilization. 

In  order  to  secure  these  results,  we  demand  at  the  hands  of  the  State : 

3.  The  establishment  of  bureaus  of  labor  statistics,  that  we  may  arrive  at  & 
correct  knowledge  of  the  educational,  moral,  and  financial  condition  of  the 
laboring  masses. 


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Jill  urn  ■■T^iT*" 


424 


HISTORY  AND  CONSTITUTION   OF  THE 


4.  That  the  pubh'c  lands,  the  heritage  of  the  people,  be  reserved  for  actual 
settlers;  not  another  acre  for  railroads  or  speculators,  and  that  all  lands  now 
held  for  speculative  purposes  be  taxed  to  their  full  value. 

5.  The  abrogation  of  all  laws  that  do  not  bear  equally  upon  capital  and 
labor,  and  the  removal  of  unjust  technicalities,  delays,  and  discriminations  in 
the  administration  of  justice. 

6.  The  adoption  of  measures  providing  for  the  health  and  safety  of  those 
engaged  in  mining,  manufacturing,  and  building  industries,  and  for  the  indem- 
nification to  those  engaged  therein  for  injuries  received  through  lack  of  neces- 
sary safeguards. 

7.  The  recognition  by  incorporation  of  trades  unions  and  orders,  and  such 
other  associations  as  may  be  organized  by  the  working  masses  to  improve 
their  condition  and  protect  their  rights. 

8.  The  enactment  of  laws  to  compel  corporations  to  pay  their  employds 
weekly,  in  lawful  money,  for  the  labor  of  the  preceding  week,  and  giving 
mechanics  and  laborers  a  first  lien  upon  the  product  of  their  labor  to  the 
extent  "of  their  full  wages. 

9.  The  abolition  of  the  contract  system  on  national,  State,  and  municipal 
works. 

10.  The  enactment  of  laws  providing  for  arbitration  between  employer  and 
employed,  and  to  enforce  the  decision  of  the  arbitrators. 

11.  The  prohibition  by  law  of  the  employment  of  children  under  15  years 
of  age  in  workshops,  mines,  and  factories. 

12.  To  prohibit  the  hiring  out  of  convict  labor. 

13.  That  a  graduated  income  tax  be  levied. 
And  we  demand  at  the  hands  of  Congress : 

1.  The  establishment  of  a  national  monetary  system,  in  which  a  circulating 
medium  in  necessary  quantity  shall  issue  direct  to  the  people,  without  the 
intervention  of  banks ;  that  all  the  national  issue  shall  be  full  legal  tender  in 
payment  of  all  debts,  public  and  private ;  and  that  the  Government  shall  not 
guarantee  or  recognize  any  private  banks,  or  create  any  banking  corpora- 
tions. 

2.  That  interest-bearing  bonds,  bills  of  credit,  or  notes  shall  never  be  issued 
by  the  Government,  but  that,  when  need  arises,  the  emergency  shall  be  met 
by  issue  of  legal  tender,  non-interest-bearing  money. 

3.  That  the  importation  of  foreign  labor  under  contract  be  prohibited. 

4.  That,  in  connection  with  the  post-office,  the  Government  shall  organize 
financial  exchanges,  safe  deposits,  and  facilities  for  deposit  of  the  savings  of 
the  people  in  small  sums. 

5.  That  the  Government  shall  obtain  possession  by  purchase,  under  the 
right  of  eminent  domain,  of  all  telegraphs,  telephones,  and  railroads,  and  that 
hereafter  no  charter  or  license  be  issued  to  any  corporation  for  construction  or 
operation  of  any  means  of  transporting  intelligence,  passengers,  or  freight. 

And  while  making  the  foregoing  demands  upon  the  State  and  National 
Government,  we  will  endeavor  to  associate  our  own  labors : 


w 


KNIGHTS  OF   LABOR. 


425 


1.  To  establish  co-operative  institutions  such  as  will  supersede  the  wage 
system,  by  the  introduction  of  a  co-operative  industrial  system. 

2.  To  secure  for  both  sexes  equal  pay  for  equal  work. 

3.  To  shorten  the  hours  of  labor  by  a  general  refusal  to  work  more  than 
eight  hours. 

4.  To  persuade  employers  to  agree  to  arbitrate  all  differences  which  may 
arise  between  them  and  their  employes,  in  order  that  the  bonds  of  sympathy 
between  them  may  be  strengthened  and  that  strikes  may  be  rendered  un- 
necessary. 

The  General  Assembly  closed  its  work  on  Friday,  Jan.  4,  1878,  by  electing 
these  Grand  Officers*  :  Grand  Master  Workman,  Uriah  S.  Stephens,  a  garment- 
cutter,  of  Philadelphia,  Penn.;  Grand  Worthy  Foreman,  Ralph  Beaumont, 
shoemaker,  of  Elmira,  N.  Y. ;  Grand  Secretary,  Charles  H,  Litchman,  shoe- 
maker, of  Marblehead,  Mass. ;  Grand  Assistant-Secretary,  John.  G.  Laning, 
nail-packer,  Clifton,  W.  Va. ;  Grand  Treasurer,  Thomas  M.  Gallagher,  machin- 
ist, of  St.  Louis,  Mo.  The  Executive  Board  was  then  selected,  and  was  com- 
posed of  these  members :  Thomas  P.  Crowne,  shoemaker.  New  York,  Chair- 
man ;  James  A.  Hamilton,  printer,  Leetonia,  Ohio,  Secretary ;  John  A.  Gibson, 
minr  r,  Knightsville,  Indiana ;  Robert  A.  Stecn,  glassworkcr,  Pittsburgh,  Penn. ; 
anc'  William  L.  Van  Horn,  teacher,  of  Lewiston,  W.  Va.  These  officers,  ex- 
cepting Mr.  Stephens,  were  formally  installed,  and  into  their  hands  was.  placed 
the  care  of  the  organization,  which  was  destined  to  become  a  power  throughout 
the  world.  Messrs.  Litchman  and  Crowne  were  afterward  deputed  to  go  to 
Philadelphia,  and  install  Uriah  S.  Stephens  into  the  greatest  office  within  the 
gift  of  the  Order  he  brought  into  existence. 

The  delegates  parted  full  of  zeal  and  enthusiasm,  and  resumed  the  work  of 
organization.  It  began  to  be  noised  everywhere  that  a  secret  labor  organiza- 
tion was  spreading  its  network  all  over  the  country.  Newspapers  began  to 
attack  it  fiercely,  denouncing  the  members  as  conspirators  and  assassins ; 
clergymen  inveighed  against  it  as  a  league  with  Satan  ;  and  employers  began 
to  discharge  every  man  whom  they  supposed  were  members  of  it.  Some  of 
the  members  became  panic-stricken,  and  Grand  Master  Workman  Stephens  was 
daily  in  the  receipt  of  letters  from  members,  who  pressed  hfm  as  to  the  advisa- 
bility of  making  the  Order  public.  Mr.  Stephens,  after  consultation  with  lead- 
ing members,  concluded  that  something  had  to  be  done,  and  accordingly  the 
following  call  for  a  special  session  was  issued  on  May  16,  1878: 

"N.  AND  H.  O. 
if  *  *  *  * 

"Special  Call. 

"  On  account  of  what  is  believed  by  many  of  our  most  influential  members 

to  be  an  emergency  of  vast  and  vital  importance  to  the  stability,  usefulness, 

*The  title  " Grand  Officers  "  was  changed  to  "General  Officers,"  at  the  request  of 
Local  Assembly,  No.  1825,  of  Williamsburg,  N.  Y.,  by  the  General  Assembly  which  met 
at  Cincinnati  in  Sept ,  1883.  The  reason  assigned  for  the  change  was  that  the  title 
"  grand  "  was  undemocratic. 


426 


HISTORY  AND  CONSTITUTION   OF  THE 


and  influence  of  our  Order,  and  in  accordance  with  the  power  given  me  by  the 
Constitution,  I  do  hereby  call  a  special  session  of  the  General  Assembly  of  the 
N.  and  H.  O.  of  K.  of  L.,  of  North  America,  to  be  held  Thursday,  June  6, 
1878,  in  the  hall  of  District  No.  i,  at  Sixth  and  Walnut  Streets,  Philadelphia, 
Penn.  *  *  *  *  The  business  is  to  consider  the  expediency  of  making  the  Order 
public^  for  the  purpose  of  defending  it  against  the  fierce  assaults  and  defama- 
tion made  upon  it  by  press,  clergy,  and  corporate  capital,  and  to  take  such 
further  action  as  shall  effectually  meet  the  grave  emergency. 

"  Uriah  S.  Stephens,  G.  M.  W. 
"Chas.   H.  Litchman,  G.  Secretary.'' 

Fifteen  delegates,  representing  New  York,  New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania, 
Illinois,  Massachusetts,  and  Missouri,  responded  to  the  call,  and  met  at  the 
time  and  place  named ;  Uriah  S.  Stephens  presiding.  They  immediately  began 
to  discuss  the  question  at  issue.  A  motion  was  made  authorizing  the  Grand 
Master  Workman  and  the  Grand  Secretary  to  empower  District  and  Local 
Assemblies  to  make  the  order  public  when  two-thirds  of  the  members  of  such 
bodies  should  declare  in  favor  of  such  a  step. 

Secrecy  being  a  fundamental  rule  of  the  Order,  it  required  a  two-thirds 
vote  to  pass  such  a  resolution.  The  resolution  was  killed,  nine  votes  (less  than 
two-thirds)  being  cast  in  favor  of  it,  and  six  against  it.  Finally,  on  the  motion 
of  T.  V.  Powderly,  of  Scranton,  it  was  decided  to  refer  the  following  matters 
to  the  consideration  of  the  District  and  Local  Assemblies  for  approval :  the 
advisability  of  making  the  Order  public,  and  of  making  such  changes  in  the 
ceremonials  as  would  tend  to  remove  the  opposition  of  the  churches.  And  at 
the  suggestion  of  Mr.  Litchman,  it  was  decided  to  order  each  Assembly  to 
vote  on  these  questions  not  later  than  Dec.  i,  1878.  The  Assembly  was  then 
closed. 

The  formation  of  the  General  Assembly  imposed  new  duties  on  the  Order 
all  around.  The  Grand  Officers  had  to  begin  to  pick  up  the  scattered  threads 
which  seemed  to  exist  all  over  the  country.  The  work  was  slow,  but  steady. 
Beginning  on  the  9th  of  April,  1878,  Grand  Master  Workman  Stephens  began 
to  appoint  organizers  on  the  recommendation  of  the  various  District  and 
local  Assemblies.  Seventy-four  were  appointed  during  that  year,  and  the 
Order  was  constitutionally  established  in  Kansas,  Minnesota,  Kentucky, 
Michigan,  Maryland,  Colorado,  Iowa,  and  Alabama.  Weak,  isolated,  "  char 
terless "  branches  were  already  in  existence  in  a  few  of  these  States.  An 
organizer  was  sent  to  Florida.  The  Order  was  getting  in  smooth  running 
order.  During  that  year  the  various  local  Assemblies  voted  on  the  advisability 
of  making  the  Order  public.  The  returns  were  very  meagre,  but,  such  as 
they  were,  they  showed  that  the  majority  of  the  Assemblies  were  against 
publicity. 

When  the  second  session  of  the  General  Assembly  was  called  in  Nie's  Hall, 
St.  Louis,  Mo.,  on  January  14,  1879,  97^  local  Assemblies  had  been  heard 
from.  The  increase  for  the  year  had  been  471.  There  were  only  25  delegates 
present,  but  they  represented  a  wider  area  of  the  country  thao  thosf  who 


KNIGHTS   OF   LABOR. 


42; 


attended  the  first  General  Assembly.  Iowa,  Wisconsin,  Kansas,  Kentucky, 
and  Alabama  had  representative's  at  the  second  session.  Uriah  Stephens 
presided.  In  his  formal  address  he  said :  "  Your  presence  here  gives  us  light 
and  hope.  It  means  a  waking  up  to  the  historical  facts,  that  great  wealth 
means  certain  corruption  at  the  fountain  of  law ;  that  limited  intelligence  is 
suborned  to  villainy;  and  the  best  genius  of  our  time  is  perverted  to  the  base 
uses  of  unprincipled  and  yet,  after  all,  bankrupt  greed.  Coming  as  you  do 
from  all  parts  of  this  continent,  shows  the  magnitude  of  the  awakening.  It 
foretells  the  blessing  of  Heaven  upon  those  who  will  help  themselves.  Wel- 
come to  this  General  Assembly,  than  which  in  its  bearing  upon  the  destiny 
of  the  race  a  more  important  assemblage  of  representative  men  never  before 
met  upon  the  globe." 

Three  very  important  matters  were  discussed  by  the  delegates.  First,  the 
feasibility  of  a  life  insurance  department ;  second,  the  formation  of  State 
Assemblies;  and,  third,  the  wisdom  of  taking  political  action.  (At  the  pre- 
vious election  15  men  representing  the  principles  held  by  the  Knights  of 
Labor  had  been  elected  to  Congress.)  The  delegates  killed  the  State  Assem- 
bly plan ;  they  feared  that  it  would  eventually  tend  to  make  a  political  machine 
out  of  the  Order.  By  an  almost  unanimous  vote.  Assemblies  were  authorized 
to  take  political  action  if  two-thirds  of  their  membership  favored  the  idea.  The 
insurance  plan  met  with  general  favor,  but  nothing  definite  was  done  about  it. 

Several  of  the  delegates  seemed  determined  to  force  the  matter  of  making 
the  Order  public.  A  delegate  from  Ohio  made  a  motion  to  that  effect.  A 
prolonged  debate  followed.  Finally,  T.  V.  Powderly  pointed  a  way  out  of 
the  difficulty,  and  at  his  suggestion  the  General  Assembly  authorized  any  local 
or  District  Assembly  to  make  itself  known,  provided  two-thirds  of  the  mem- 
bers should  so  decide.  The  Assembly  finished  the  work  by  re-electing  Grand 
Master  Workman  Stephens ;  T.  V.  Powderly,  of  Scranton,  was  chosen  Grand 
Worthy  Foreman ;  Charles  H.  Litchman,  Grand  Secretary ;  W.  H.  Singer, 
Grand  Treasurer.  The  members  elected  to  the  Executive  Board  were :  John 
McCaffrey,  Pennsylvania ;  E.  S,  Marshall,  Alabama ;  Thomas  Kavanaugh, 
Illinois;  James  H.  Coon,  Iowa;  Newell  Daniels,  Wisconsin. 

Nothing  of  public  importance  was  done  in  the  eight  months  which  passed 
before  the  third  session  of  the  General  Assembly  met  in  Chicago,  on  Septem- 
ber 2,  1879.  Twenty  delegates,  representing  ten  States,  took  part  in  the 
deliberations.  Much  to  their  regret,  Mr.  Stephens  was  not  present.  Why  he 
was  not  there  was  explained  by  the  following  letter : 


Office  of  the  Grand  Mastfr  Workman,  1 
Philadelphia,  Pa.,  August  30,  1879.     ) 
Charles  Litchman,  Esq.,  Grand  Secretary. 

Mv  Dear  Brother  :  Business  and  finance  together  render  it  impossible  for  me  to  be 
at  Chicago.  I  do  not  feel  that  I  can  any  longer  bear  the  burden.  It  must  rest  on  other 
shoulders.  My  preference  [for  successor]  lies  between  Powderly  and  Richard  Griffiths.  I 
have  transmitted  my  address  and  report,  also  my  decisions  and  statement  of  accounts,  to 
Brother  Griffiths,  to  hand  to  you.    I  must  devote  my  energies  to  personal  afTairs  that  have 


*  : 


428 


HISTORY  AND  CONSTITUTION   OF  THE 


been  so  much  neglected  the  last  two  years,  while  giving  brain  and  energy  to  the  interests 
of  others.  I  sincerely  hope  for  wise  legislation,  and  that  humanity  may  be  benefited 
thereby.  Yours  fraternally, 

U.  S.  Stephens,  Grand  Master  Workman. 

In  the  absence  of  Mr.  Stephens,  the  duty  of  presiding  devolved  upon 
Grand  Worthy  Foreman  Powderly,  one  of  the  20  delegates  who  were  present. 
A  considerable  portion  of  the  five  days'  session  was  taken  up  in  discussing  the 
testy  question  as  to  whether  the  time  had  not  come  for  making  the  aims  and 
name  of  the  Order  known  to  the  world.  The  delegates  thought  the  time  was 
yet  inopportune,  and  they  settled  the  question  in  the  way  it  was  disposed  of 
at  the  second  session,  viz. :  the  Assemblies  were  empowered  to  make  the 
Order  public  in  their  own  localities  if  deemed  advisable.  Up  to  this  time 
women  were  barred  out  from  membership.  Delegate  Philip  Van  Patten,  of 
Ohio,  thought  the  barrier  should  be  removed,  and,  with  that  end  in  view,  he 
offered  an  amendment  to  the  Constitution,  providing  that  workingwomen 
should  be  admitted  to  the  Order.  Twelve  votes  were  cast  in  favor  and  8 
against  it.  Lacking  a  two-thirds  majority,  the  question  was  referred  back  to 
the  Order  at  large  for  approval.  The  General  Assembly  also  endorsed  the 
stand  previously  taken  in  favor  of  allowing  Assemblies  to  take  political  action 
whenever  the  interests  of  the  Order  would  be  served  thereby. 

Two  other  important  measures  were  brought  up,  disposed  of,  and  adopted 
as  a  part  of  the  organic  law  of  the  Order.  The  want  of  an  official  organ  was 
keenly  felt,  and  by  a  unanimous  vote  the  Grand  Officers  were  authorized  to 
i.ssue  a  monthly  organ,  to  be  circulated  only  among  members  of  the  organiza- 
tion. The  paper  was  issued  on  the  15th  of  May,  1880.  It  now  has  a  large 
circulation,  and  it  has  been  a  means  of  welding  the  Brotherhood  together  and 
of  establishing  a  unity  of  sentiment  among  the  members.  The  other  measure 
was  the  establishing  of  a  black-list.  The  black-list  is  a  mode  of  punishing 
traitors.  It  was  ordered  that  as  soon  as  a  traitor  was  expelled  that  his  name, 
age,  occupation,  personal  appearance,  and  his  ofifence  should  be  published  in 
the  journal  and  sent  broadcast,  indorsed  by  the  local  or  district  which  ex 
pelled  him. 

The  report  of  Grand  Secretary  Charles  H.  Litchman  showed  that  the 
Order  had  made  encouraging  gains ;  that  41  organizers  had  been  commissioned, 
not  only  in  the  States  already  organized,  but  in  Texas,  California,  Iowa,  North 
Carolina,  and  Massachusetts.  It  was  shown,  too,  that  1,325  locals  were  work- 
ing, making  an  increase  of  354  in  8  months. 

Other  reports  showed  that  a  number  of  the  locals  then  recently  organized 
were  composed  of  men  engaged  at  special  branches  of  industry.  A  resolution 
was  adopted,  declaring  that  trade  locals  were  contrary  to  the  spirit  and  genius 
of  the  Order,  and  all  locals  were  recommended  to  initiate  men  of  all  trades 
and  callings.  The  session  was  ended  by  the  election  of  Terrence  V.  Powderly, 
of  Pennsylvania,  as  Grand  Master  Workman ;  Richard  Griffiths,  of  Illinois, 
Grand  Worthy  Foreman  ;  Charles  H.  Litchman,  of  Massachusetts,  Grand 
Secretary  (re-elected) ;  Dominick  Hammer,  of  Ohio,  Grand  Treasurer.    To  the 


KNIGHTS  OF   LABOR. 


429 


Executive  Board :  Edward  A.  Stevens,  of  Illinois;  Philip  Van  Patten,  of  Ohio; 
Michael  A.  Leary  and  David  Fitzgerald,  of  Pennsylvania ;  and  Cornelius  Cur- 
tin,  of  Illinois. 

The  work  of  organization  went  on  quietly  during  the  winter  and  spring 
which  followed.  New  York  was  as  yet  unorganized.  While  the  leaders  were 
anxious  that  the  Order  should  gain  a  foothold  in  the  Empire  State,  they  had 
misgivings  as  to  its  probable  success.  In  the  early  days  of  the  Order  three 
Assemblies  had  been  formed  in  New  York  City,  one  of  goldbeaters.  No.  28 ; 
one  of  boxmakers.  No.  159;  and  one  of  shoemakers,  No.  221  ;  but  they  had 
withered  and  died.  An  organizer  settled  in  Brooklyn,  N.Y.,  in  1879,  and 
after  13  months'  hard  work  he  established  Advance  Assembly  No,  1562 
(mixed),  with  14  members.  Most  of  them  were  staunch  and  zealous  men. 
Assisted  by  them,  he  started  Local  Assembly  No.  1 563  in  New  York  City, 
and  Progressive  Assembly  No.  1570  in  Greenpoint,  N.  Y.  No.  1562  infused  a 
spirit  into  the  Order  at  large,  which  took  the  upward  bound  which  landed  it 
in  the  high  position  it  now  occupies. 

In  its  onward  march  the  Order  gained  firm  footholds  in  Alabama, 
Colorado,  California,  Maryland,  Michigan,  Kentucky,  Indiana,  and  Kansas. 
Branches  were  started  at  Savannah,  McAllister  in  the  Indian  Territory,  and  at 
Cheyenne,  Wyoming  Territory,  bringing  the  total  number  of  Assemblies  up 
to  1,580,  with  42  districts,  on  September  I,  1880.  The  fourth  regular  scssiop 
of  the  Knights  of  Labor  was  held  at  Grand  Armory  Hall,  on  September  2,  3, 
4,  5,  and  6,  in  Pitttsburgh.  Among  the  40  delegates  were  representatives 
from  California,  Michigan,  Iowa,  Kentucky,  Maryland,  States  that  never  before 
had  been  represented  in  the  General  Assembly,  This,  and  the  fact  that  1,580 
locals  were  in  existence,  proved  very  encouraging  to  the  young  Master  Work- 
man, Mayor  T.  V.  Powderly,  of  Scranton,  who  made  his  maiden  address  a.s 
chief  of  the  Order  of  the  Knights  of  Labor.  In  the  course  of  it,  he  said  in 
reference  to  strikes :  "  We  must  teach  our  members  that  the  remedy  for  the 
redress  of  the  wrongs  we  complain  of  does  not  lie  in  the  suicidal  strike — it 
lies  in  thorough  effective  organization.  Without  organization  we  cannot  ac- 
complish anything ;  through  it  we  hope  to  banish  forever  the  curse  of  modern 
civilization — wage  slavery." 

The  question  of  strikes  had  for  years  engaged  the  attention  of  the  Order. 
The  general  policy  of  it  was  against  strikes,  but  it  was  considered  that  a  plan 
for  dealing  with  them  was  necessary.  A  special  committee  was  appointed  by 
the  General  Assembly,  and  it  presented  this  report,  which  was  adopted : 

"  It  is  the  opinion  of  the  Order  that  strikes  are,  as  a  rule,  productive  of  more  injury 
than  benefit  to  the  working  people  ;  consequently,  all  attet  nts  to  foment  strikes  should 
be  discouraged.  But,  should  circumstances  compel  our  brothers  in  any  locality  to  strike, 
the  local  Assembly  to  which  they  belong  shall  elect  an  Arbitration  Committee,  which  shall 
try  to  settle  the  difficulty.  Should  this  Committee  fail  to  arrange  matters  satisfactorily, 
the  District  Assembly  shall  elect  an  Arbitration  Committee,  which  shall  renew  the  effort 
to  settle  the  difficulty." 

It  was  further  provided  that  should  the  District  fail,  a  committee  selected 


430 


HISTORY  AND  CONSTITUTION   OF  THE 


from  three  Districts  should  try  to  settle  the  difficulty.  And,  if  that  body 
failed,  the  matter  was  to  be  referred  to  the  General  Executive  Board. 

The  Executive  Board  and  the  Grand  Officers  were  empowered  to  order  a 
strike  if  deemed  justifiable,  to  support  the  strikers  from  the  strike  fund,  and  to 
levy  a  general  assessment  on  the  whole  Order  in  support  of  the  strike. 

The  question  of  admitting  women  to  the  Order  came  up  again,  and  a  dele- 
gate offered  this  resolution : 

"  That  workingwomen  m?.y  become  members  of  the  Order,  and  form  Assemblies  under 
the  same  conditions  as  men." 

This  met  with  almost  unanimous  approval,  and  the  General  Assembly 
declared  that  woman  was  the  equal  of  man.  The  Grand  Officers  were  author- 
ized to  put  the  motion  into  effect  at  once.  •  An  effort  was  made  to  remove  the 
ban  on  physicians.  A  motion  declaring  them  eligible  was  defeated  by  a  vote 
of  38  to  2.  A  lengthy  debate  followed  a  motion  pledging  the  Order  to  sup- 
port the  Greenback-Labor  Party.     The  motion  was  tabled  indefinitely. 

The  Resistance  Fund,  established  at  the  first  General  Assembly,  had  grown 
to  considerable  proportions,  and  there  was  considerable  doubt  as  to  how  it 
should  be  used.  Hours  were  taken  up  in  considering  and  debating  the  ques- 
tion. It  was  finally  decided  that  10  per  cent,  of*  the  fund  should  be  laid  aside 
for  educational  purposes,  30  per  cent,  to  be  set  aside  as  a  Strike  Fund,  and  the 
remaining  60  per  cent,  was  ordered  to  be  set  aside  and  used  in  starting  co- 
operative factories,  mills,  and  stores.  The  position  of  the  Order  on  the 
Chinese  question  was  defined  by  the  adoption  of  the  following  resolution : 

"  Resolved,  That  all  members  of  the  Order  oppose  Chinese  coolie  importation  of  what- 
ever form,  and  it  shall  be  their  duty  to  withdraw  all  patronage  from  said  class  and  the 
employers  of  them.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  all  brothers  to  exact  a  pledge  from  their  repre- 
sentatives in  Congress  that  they  will  do  all  that  li^s  within  their  power  to  secure  the  abro- 
gation of  the  Burlingame  treaty." 

The  old  Board  of  Grand  Officers  were  re-elected,  and  the  following  delegates 
became  members  of  the  Executive  Board  : 

James  L.  Wright  and  Frederick  Turner,  of  Pennsylvania ;  Daniel  Mc- 
Laughlin, of  Illinois ;  Henry  G.  Taylor,  New  York ;  and  Robert  W.  Price, 
Maryland. 

In  December,  1880,  several  members  of  the  Order  were  arrested  during  a 
labor-strike  in  Pennsylvania,  and  charged  with  being  members  of  the  Knights 
of  Labor,  *'  an  organization  which  encourages  crime,  theft,  arson,  etc."  A 
special  meeting  of  the  Executive  Board  was  held  in  Philadelphia  on  Jan.  9, 
1 88 1,  to  consider  their  case.  Their  liberty  was  at  stake,  and  the  reputation  of 
the  Order  was  in  danger.  Grand  Master  Workman  Powderly  and  James  L. 
Wright,  Chairman  of  the  Executive  Board,  were  authorized  to  attend  the  trial 
as  witnesses  on  behalf  of  the  accused  Knights.  They  did  so,  with  the  result 
that  the  unfounded  charges  of  conspiracy  fell  to  the  ground. 

For  some  unknown  reason  the  organization  did  not  spread  very  rapidly 
during  the  year  beginning  Sept.  i,  1881.     Only  loi  local  Assemblies  and  one 


KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 


431 


District  Assembly  were  organized,  but  the  States  of  Tennessee  and  Minnesota 
and  the  District  of  Columbia  were  added  to  the  roll,  bringing  the  total  number 
of  locals  up  to  1,681.  The  fifth  session  of  the  General  Assembly  was  held  in 
Ney  Hall,  Detroit,  Mich.,  on  Sept.  6,  7,  8,  9,  and  10,  1881  ;  Grand  Master 
Workman  Powderly  presiding.  Thirty-three  delegates  were  present,  one  of 
them  representing  Kansas.  Brooklyn,  N,  Y.,  had  a  delegate  for  the  first  time, 
and  New  York  City  had  two  delegates.  The  question  of  making  the  Order 
public  came  up  again,  and  no  less  than  four  resolutions  were  offered  by  dele- 
gates from  different  parts  of  the  country  in  favor  of  the  scheme.  Thomas  M. 
Ferrell,  afterward  a  Congressman  from  New  Jersey,  submitted  the  following 
resolution,  which,  after  a  prolonged  discussion,  was  adopted : 

"  Whereas,  Believing  that  it  will  be  in  accord  with  the  great  work  we  are  engaged  in, 
and  to  aid  more  fully  in  educating  the  public  to  a  favorable  opinion  in  the  inte»est  of  the 
working  unions  of  this  country  ;  therefore,  be  it 

"  Resolved,  That  the  name  of  the  Order  be  declared  by  the  General  Assembly  to  be  no 
longer  a  secret,  leaving  it  optional  with  the  District  Assemblies  and  locals  in  connection 
with  the  G.  M.  W.  when  to  so  proclaim  it  in  their  respective  jurisdictions." 

Nearly  every  delegate  spoke  on  this  subject,  and  the  minority,  led  by 
Theo.  F.  Cuno,  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  made  a  strong  fight  against  the  motion. 
Their  opposition  proved  futile,  and  the  motion  was  adopted  by  a  vote  of  28  to 
6.  James  L.  Wright,  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Order;  Cuno,  and  the  dele- 
gates representing  Detroit,  Newark,  N.  J.,  Baltimore,  and  H.  G.  Taylor,  of 
New  York,  voted  to  the  last  against  publicity.  Accordingly  a  committee  of 
three  was  authorized  to  draft  "  a  proclamation  to  the  workingmen  of  the  United 
States,  informing  them  of  the  existence  and  objects  of  the  Noble  and  Holy 
Order  of  the  Knights  of  Labor." 

A  strong  eiTort  was  made  to  establish  State  Assemblies.  Some  delegates 
believed  them  to  be  a  necessary  addition  to  the  Order.  Others  insisted  that 
they  should  supplant  District  Assemblies.  The  General  Assembly  decided 
that  State  organizations  were  desirable,  but  impracticable  then.  It  also  refused 
to  admit  physicians  to  membership.  The  delegate  from  Newark  submitted  a 
plan  for  the  appointment  of  a  board,  which  was  to  have  charge  of  and  to  direct 
all  co-operative  schemes  started  by  the  Order.  The  idea  was  approved  of,  but 
the  delegates  thought  it  deserved  long  and  serious  consideration.  Therefore, 
the  whole  matter  was  referred  to  the  Advance  Labor  Assembly,  No.  1562,  of 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  many  of  whose  members  were  recognized  authorities  on  the 
subject  of  productive  and  distributive  co-operation.  Recognizing  the  neces- 
sity of  a  bureau  of  general  information  for  the  Order,  a  new  official  was  cieated, 
with  the  title  of  "  Grand  Statistician,"  whose  duties  were  implied  by  the  title. 
The  General  Assembly  made  another  important  innovation  by  establishing  a 
system  of  life  insurance  for  members.  There  had  been  a  general  demand  for 
an  insurance  department.  The  new  feature  met  with  universal  approval,  and 
it  has  grown  to  be  quite  an  institution.  One  of  the  closing  acts  of  the  General 
Assembly  was  the  authorization  of  another  innovation,  viz.,  permitting  mem- 
bers to  wear  symbolical  badges. 


; 


432 


HISTORY  AND  CONSTITUTION   OF  THE 


These  were  the  officers  chosen  :  Grand  Master  Workman,  T.  V.  Powderly ; 
Grand  Worthy  Foreman,  Richard  Giiffiths,  Il'inois;  Grand  Secretary,  Robert 
D.  Layton,  of  Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania;  Grand  Treasurer,  A.  M.  Owens, 
Clarksburgh,  W.  Va. ;  Grand  Statistician,  Theodore  F.  Cuno,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 
Executive  Board  :  Messrs.  Powderly  and  Layton  ;  James  Campbell  and  Myles 
McPadden,  of  Pennsylvania ;  and  Archibald  Cowan,  of  Ohio.  The  peculiar 
con. position  of  the  board  was  the  result  of  a  plan  to  make  Pittsburgh  the  per- 
manent headquarters  of  the  Knights  of  Labor.  The  laws  of  the  Order  provide 
that  the  home  of  the  General  Secretary  shall  be  the  headquarters  of  the  Knights 
of  Labor.  From  Jan.,  1878,  to  this  time  Marblehead,  Mass.,  the  home  of  Sec- 
retary  Litchman,  had  been  the  headquarters.  After  Secretary  Layton  had 
been  elected  it  was  decided  to  make  him  and  Grand  Master  Workman  Powder 
ly  the  first  two  members  of  the  board,  and  that  the  other  three  members  should 
be  selected  from  Pittsburgh  and  vicinity.  That  system  has  since  been  changed, 
so  that  the  Executive  Board  is  now  made  up  of  men  from  different  States. 

The  year  1882  was  a  rather  eventful  one  for  the  Order.  On  New- Year's 
day  the  Grand  Officers  issued  a  proclamation  informing  the  world  of  the  ex- 
istence of  the  Knights  of  Labor,  and  of  their  aims  and  principles.  The  press 
throughout  the  country  gave  the  subject  considerable  attention,  and  rather 
welcomed  the  Order  than  otherwise.  The  proclamation  came  upon  the  trades 
unionists  of  America  like  a  revelation,  and  thousands  of  them  poured  into  the 
Order.  By  Sept.  i,  1882,  the  Order  had  gained  22,517  members.  In  many 
localities  the  Order  came  out  publicly,  making  known  the  names  of  officers, 
and  giving  the  time  and  place  of  meetings.  Many  Assemblies  continued  to 
work  secretly  as  before.  In  New  York  City  there  are  over  300  locals  and  seven 
District  Assemblies,  but  their  existence  is  practically  a  profound  secret. 

The  strength,  extent,  or  influence  of  the  Order  had  not  been  tested  up  to 
1882.  Mostly  all  of  its  actions  had  been  local  in  their  extent  and  bearing. 
Boycotting  was  yet  an  unknown  factor  in  the  settlement  of  labor  difficulties. 
On  the  morning  of  March  25,  1882,  a  universal  boycotting  order  was  issued 
and  published  by  Advance  Assembly,  No.  1562,  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  against  a 
prominent  New  York  corporation,  which  was  accused  of  general  unjust  treat- 
ment of  its  employes.  The  order  for  the  boycott  was  the  outcome  of  an  in- 
vestigation made  by  a  committee  consisting  of  three  members  of  No.  1562. 
The  boycott  order  was  flashed  all  over  the  land  ;  it  met  with  a  general 
response'  and  it  caused  the  corporation  a  direct  loss  in  solid  cash  of  $250,000 
in  one  year.  The  boycotting  idea  met  with  general  favor  throughout  the 
Order,  and  it  became  and  is  to-day  a  part  of  its  policy.  (The  subject  is  dealt 
with  more  fully  further  on.)  The  boycott  created  great  excitement  at  the 
time.  The  corporation  hired  detectives,  who  tried  inefTectually  to  worm  them- 
selves into  the  Order.  A  treacherous  Knight,  yet  unknown,  revealed  the  cir- 
cumstances of  the  boycott,  and  the  corporation  threatened  to  have  Cuno  and 
the  investigation  committee  indicted.  In  anticipation  of  such  a  contingency, 
bondsmen  were  secured,  and  Robert  Blissert,  of  New  York,  quietly  arranged 
for  a  monster  indignation  meeting,  to  be  held  in  Union  Square  the  very  night 


KNIGHTS   OF   LABOR. 


433 


that  the  members  of  No.  1562  should  be  arrested.  The  workingmen  of  New 
York  were  in  a  state  of  intense  excitement  at  the  time,  and  had  the  arrests 
been  made  trouble  would  have  followed  beyond  a  doubt.  The  Grand  Officers 
afterward  raised  the  boycott,  and  the  corporation  not  only  remedied  the 
grievances  complained  of,  but  it  helped  its  employes  to  form  an  Assembly  of 
the  Knights  of  Labor.  Since  the  boycott  was  raised  the  corporation  has  been 
restored  to  its  old  prestige,  and  is  domg  an  immense  business.  This  boycott 
demonstrated  the  power  of  the  Knights  of  Labor,  and  it  restored  No.  1562,  of 
Brooklyn,  to  its  position  as  the  foremost  Assembly  of  the  Order.  Since  No. 
1562  was  formed,  three  of  its  members,  John  G.  Caville,  Theo.  F".  Cuno,  and 
John  S.  McClelland,  have  been  honored  with  national  offices.  Six  of  its 
members  have  been  honored  with  seats  in  the  General  Assembly,  and  probably 
twenty  of  them  have  held  organizers'  commissions. 

During  1882  new  locals  in  Connecticut,  Rhode  Island,  New  Hampshire, 
Wisconsin,  Texas,  and  Nebraska  were  heard  from.  By  Sept.  ist,  513  new 
Assemblies  had  been  formed,  and  9  new  District  Assemblies  ;  86  locals  which 
had  lapsed  were  reorganized.  The  total  number  of  locals  was  2,190,  with  49 
Districts,  and  a  membership  of  100,000.  Two  notable  events  in  the  history  of 
the  Order  were  recorded  that  year.  On  the  i6t\\  of  June,  1882,  ten  pottery 
firms  at  East  Liverpool,  Ohio,  combined  to  crush  the  local  Assembly  in  that 
place.  They  began  by  discharging  their  350  employes,  who  refused  to  aban- 
don the  Order.  Right  "  upon  the  heels  of  this  "  a  firm  at  New  Castle,  Penn., 
discharged  61  of  their  employes  for  the  same  reason.  The  struggle  in  both 
instances  was  bitter,  and  the  Order  granted  such  aid  to  the  men  as  its  limited 
treasury  permitted.  During  the  same  year  13  members  were  arrested  for 
assisting  General  Organizer  Myles  McPadden  to  organize  the  miners  and 
laborers  of  Centre  and  Clearfield  Counties,  in  Pennsylvania.  He  also  was 
arrested.  The  Executive  Board  rendered  them  all  the  assistance  possible. 
During  this  year  the  board  had  to  support  the  East  Liverpool  brothers,  and  to 
contribute  nearly  $6,000  to  the  shoemakers  who  struck  at  Rochester,  N.  Y. 
It  also  had  to  extend  a  helping  hand  to  3,800  miners  who  struck  in  the  George's 
Creek  region,  Maryland. 

Fifteen  States,  including  Connecticut,  Rhode  Island,  Texas,  and  Wisconsin, 
hitherto  unheard  from,  were  represented  at  the  sixth  session  of  the  General 
Assembly,  which  met  in  New  York  City  on  Sept.  8,  1882.  Seventy-five  dele- 
gates attended  the  session.  Several  days  were  devoted  to  the  boycott  ques- 
tion, and  an  effort  was  made  to  confine  the  right  of  inflicting  boycotts  to  the 
Executive  Board,  but  it  was  unsuccessful.  The  unjust  system  of  selecting  all 
the  members  of  the  F"..cutive  Board  from  Pennsylvania  was  wiped  out.  And 
it  was  provided  that  no  two  members  of  it  should  come  from  the  same  State, 
and  that  no  Grand  Officer  should  be  eligible  thereto. 

A  family  affliction  called  Grand  Master  Workman  Powderly  home  again 
(as  it  did  four  delegates  during  the  session),  and  Ralph  Beaumont  took 
the  chair.  Many  things  were  done  during  this  session,  but  the  principal  ones 
were  the  enactment  of  a  law  allowing  girls  of  16  and  over  to  join  the  Order ; 


434 


HISTORY  AND  CONSTITUTION   OF  THE 


the  establishment  of  a  National  Co-operative  Board  ;  and  the  establishment  of 
a  system  of  financial  aid  for  men  and  women  who  were  "  locked-out "  for  bciny 
members  of  the  Order.  The  order  renewing  the  movement  to  bring  about 
the  early  closing  of  stores,  was  endorsed  by  the  body.  The  election  of  officers 
resulted  as  follows :  Grand  Master  Workman,  T.  V.  Powderly  ;  Grand  Secre- 
tary, R.  D.  Layton  (both  re-elected) ;  Grand  Worthy  Foreman,  Ralph  Beau- 
mont, of  Elmira,  N.  Y. ;  Grand  Treasurer,  Richard  Griffiths, of  Illinois;  Grand 
Statistician,  Francis  B.  Egan,  Michigan ;  Insurance  Secretary,  Charles  H. 
Litchman,  Massachusetts.  Executive  Board:  David  Healy,  New  York;  John 
S.  McClelland,  New  Jersey ;  James  Campbell,  Pennsylvania ;  R.  W.  Price, 
Maryland  ;  H.  C.  Traphagcn,  Ohio. 

During  1882  the  Order  was  started  in  Canada,  beginning  with  Hamilton. 
From  September  i,  1882,  656  local  Assemblies  were  chartered.  A  consider- 
able number  of  them  were  in  Maine,  Canada,  Arkansas,  Georgia,  Louisiana, 
Mississippi,  Tennessee,  and  Virginia.  Fifteen  District  Assemblies  were 
founded.  Up  to  the  latter  date,  26  States,  the  District  of  Columbia,  the 
Indian  and  Wyoming  Territories,  and  Canada  were  under  the  shield  of  the 
Knights  of  Labor. 

During  1883  the  resources  of  the  Order  were  severely  taxed  in  supporting 
strikes  and  lockouts  at  East  Liverpool,  Ohio ;  in  the  Cumberland  mining 
region ;  Newcastle,  Penn. ;  Cannelburgh,  Ind. ;  in  Cincinnati ;  at  Allentown, 
Penn. ;  at  Rochester,  N.  Y.  The  great  strike  of  the  Western  Union  teleg- 
raphers, who  formed  part  of  District  Assembly  No.  45,  occurred  that  year. 
A  considerable  sum  of  money  was  raised  for  the  telegraphers,  but  the  strike 
was  a  failure.  What  threatened  to  be  a  serious  schism  occurred  in  Baltimore 
about  that  time.  A  number  of  Knights  of  Labor,  who  did  not  agree  with  the 
general  policy  of  the  Order,  started  a  society  known  as  the  Improved  Order 
of  the  Knights  of  Labor.  The  old  organization  attacked  it  vigorously,  and  it 
dwindled  away.  The  seventh  session  of  the  General  Assembly  was  held  in 
Cincinnati,  September  4-1 1,  1883.  It  was  attended  by  iii  delegates,  repre- 
senting 21  States  and  2,714  Assemblies.  For  the  first  time  a  woman  was 
present  as  a  delegate.  The  matters  which  came  up  and  were  approved  of  by 
the  body  were  few  in  number.  At  the  request  of  Local  Assembly  No.  i825» 
of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  the  aristocratic  title  of  "  Grand  Officers"  was  wiped  out. 
and  the  title  "  General  Officers  "  substituted.  A  clause  demanding  the  r 
pulsory  education  of  children  was  added  to  the  platform,  and  th'  A"--'!'^ 
Fund  (designed  to  help  men  on  strikes  which  had  been  duly  am  ^u;       < 

re-established.  Mr.  Powderly  was  re-elected  to  his  old  position  of  ad  of  the 
Order,  under  the  new  title  of  General  Master  Workman,  and  Fred.  Turne  of 
Philadelphia,  was  elected  Secretary. 

Soon  after  the  Assembly  adjourned,  the  headquarters  of  the  Knights  of 
Labor  was  removed  from  Pittsburgh  to  Philadelphia. 

Two  missionaries  crossed  the  Atlantic  in  the  early  part  of  1884,  and  organ- 
ized flourishing  Assemblies  in  England  and  Belgium.  One  of  the  Assemblies, 
No.  3504,  of  Sunderland,  England,  now  has  over  2,000  members.     During  that 


'   1 


KNIGHTS  OF    LAHOR. 


435 


year  branches  sprang  up  in  Washington  Territory,  Florida,  New  Mexico, 
Utah,  British  Columbia,  Idaho,  and  Montana.  It  received  a  great  impetus  in 
Maine,  Connecticut,  Massachusetts,  Rhode  Island,  and  Texas,  the  latter  State 
gaining  20,000  members.  In  all,  561  locals  were  formed,  bringing  the  total 
number  up  to  3,270,  with  76  Districts.  In  the  spring  the  Executive  Board 
received  an  appeal  for  aid  from  Knights  of  Labor  at  Cannelburgh,  Ind.,  who 
had  been  victimized  by  a  mining  corporation,  with  which  they  had  been 
struggling  for  a  year.  After  due  consideration,  the  Board  thought  that  it 
would  be  better  to  start  the  men  in  business  for  the  Order  on  the  co-operative 
principle  than  to  support  a  strike.  Accordingly,  money  was  advanced,  and  a 
raluable  tract  of  coal  land  was  purchased  outright  at  Cannelburgh,  and  the 
men  put  to  work.  The  mine  is  yet  the  property  of  the  Order.  The  Board 
also  adopted  a  special  label  to  be  placed  on  all  goods  made  by  Knights  of 
Labor.  The  label  is  granted  only  to  employers  who  employ  Knights 
exclusively. 

The  eighth  session  of  the  General  Assembly  was  held  in  Philadelphia. 
Twenty-four  States  were  represented  by  127  delegates,  two  of  whom  were 
women.  An  immense  amount  of  business  was  proposed  and  transacted,  and 
300  different  plans,  amendments,  and  ideas  on  different  subjects  were  sub- 
mitted. The  Assembly  removed  the  barrier  which  kept  physicians  out  of  the 
Order.  The  "  Assistance  Fund  "  was  placed  under  the  control  of  the  District 
Assemblies,  instead  of  the  General  Assembly,  as  had  been  the  case.  The 
financial  affairs  of  the  organization  had  grown  to  such  proportions  that  a  new 
office,  that  of  General  Auditor,  was  created,  to  which  Mr.  John  G.  Caville,  of 
No.  1562,  Brooklyn,  was  elected.  He  was  re-elected  at  Hamilton,  Canada,  in 
1885.  Authority  to  form  State  Assemblies  was  given  to  local  Assemblies,  and 
since  then  Texas,  Michigan,  Illinois,  Arkansas,  and  Massachusetts  have  availed 
themselves  of  the  opportunity. 

The  rapid  growth  of  the  Order  from  October,  1885,  to  March  i,  1886,  pre- 
vented the  officers  from  giving  routine  matters  due  attention.  Consequently 
the  General  Executive  Board  ordered  that  all  organizing  should  cease  for 
forty  days ;  when  the  forty  days  had  ended  there  w  ere  i  ,000  applications  for 
charters  on  file. 

In  April,  in  response  to  a  call  signed  by  five  District  Assemblies  repre- 
senting five  States,  General  Master  Workman  Powderly  summoned  the  dele- 
gates to  meet  in  special  session  at  Cleveland,  on  May  25,  1886.  One  hundred 
and  forty  delegates  met  in  Cleveland  on  that  day  and  continued  in  session 
until  Thursday,  June  4.  Most  of  the  session  was  spent  in  discussions  on 
strikes  and  boycotts. 

The  law  was  changed  so  as  to  confine  the  right  to  boycott  to  the  General 
E  cutive  Board  exclusively.  As  regards  strikes  the  power  to  order  them 
w      taken  from  local  and  district  assemblies  and  placed  in  the  hands  of  the 

ecutive — this  is  in  cases  where  more  than  twenty-five  men  or  women  are 
c  oerned.  It  was  ordered,  too,  that  the  command  to  strike  or  to  resume  work 
should  be  given  secretly. 


1  ; 


436 


TERRENCE   VINCENT   POWDERLY. 


The  commissions  of  the  600  organizers  were  cancelled,  and  provision  made 
for  the  appointment  of  new  ones,  who  should  have  to  undergo  an  examina- 
tion as  to  fitness.  Political  action  received  a  quasi-endorsement,  inasmuch  as 
a  committee  was  appointed  to  secure  legislation  at  the  hands  of  Congress 
favorable  to  labor  interests.  Owing  to  the  pressure  of  business  on  the  Ex- 
ecutive Board,  the  General  Assembly  authorized  the  election  of  six  auxiliary 
members  of  the  Executive  Board.  The  duty  of  the  auxiliary  members  was 
confined  to  examination  into  the  causes  of  labor  difficulties. 


TERRENCE  VINCENT  POWDERLY, 

GENERAL  MASTER  WORKMAN  OF  THE  KNIGHTS  OF  LABOR  OF  NORTH  AMERICA. 

Mr.  Powderly  was  born  January  29,  1849,  ^^  Carbondale,  Pa.  His  father 
was  an  humble  Irish  miner,  and  his  mother  an  industrious.  God-fearing  woman. 
She  was  the  mother  of  twelve  children,  of  whom  Terrence  was  the  youngest 

except  one.  He  received  such  education  as 
was  obtainable  where  he  lived.  As  soon  as 
he  was  able  he  secured  a  situation  as  a  switch- 
tender  for  the  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal 
Company.  He  followed  that  occupation  for 
four  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  left  to 
become  a  machinist  for  the  company. 

Mr.  Powderly  became  a  resident  of  Scran- 
ton  in  1869,  and  secured  a  situation  in  the 
Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  Company's 
shop.  The  following  year  he  joined  the 
Machinists'  and  Blacksmiths'  Union.  He  had 
been  studying  the  labor  question  for  years, 
and  his  knowledge  made  him  a  power  among 
his  fellow-craftsmen.  In  a  short  time  he  was 
elected  President  of  the  Union.  In  1872  he 
married  a  Miss  Devitt,  a  very  estimable 
young  woman,  who  has  lived  to  share  in  the 
honors  which  have  been  bestowed  upon  him. 
The  Knights  of  Labor  had  been  in  existence 
five  years  before  he  was  aware  of  the  fact. 

The  panic  of  1873  threw  him  out  of  work,  compelling  him  to  travel  through 
Ohio  in  search  of  employment.  Returning  to  Pennsylvania,  he  secured  a 
situation  in  Oil  City.  He  had  been  there  a  very  short  time  when  he  waS 
elected  a  delegate  to  the  National  Convention  of  Machinists'  and  Blacksmiths* 
Unions,  held  at  Louisville,  Ky.,  in  September,  1874.  He  exercised  a  marked 
influence  upon  that  gathering,  and  displayed  those  talents  which  have  since 
made  bim  a  power  in  the  land.  Returning  to  Scranton,  he  secured  work  from 
the  Dickson  Manufacturing  Company. 


TERRENCE  V,  POWDERLY, 
General  Matter  IVorkman. 


TERRENCE   VINCENT  POWDERLY. 


437 


One  night  in  November,  1874,  a  friend  called  at  Mr.  Powderly's  house, 
and  asked  him  to  go  out  for  a  walk.  Mr.  Powderly  went  along.  His  friend 
told  him  that  there  was  in  existence  an  organization,  then  but  an  infant,  but 
which  was  destined  to  become  a  giant.  He  told  Mr.  Powderly  its  aims  and 
principles,  but,  of  course,  the  laws  of  it  forbade  him  mentioning  even  its 
name.  He  conducted  Mr.  Powderly  to  a  hall  in  the  city  of  Scranton,  and 
when  he  (Mr.  Powderly)  left  it  he  was  a  full-fledged  Knight  of  Labor, 
full  of  zeal  for  its  welfare,  and  full  of  faith  in  its  efficacy  "  to  rescue  the  toiler 
from  the  grasp  of  the  selfish."  He  was  now  a  member  of  Local  Assembly 
No.  88,  which  was  composed  of  men  of  all  crafts  and  callings.  That  night  he 
vowed  to  devote  his  life  to  the  Order.  With  that  end  in  view,  he  set  to  work 
to  bring  all  the  members  of  his  craft  in  Scranton  into  the  Knights  of  Labor. 
The  result  of  his  labors  was  that  in  November,  1876,  he  was  enabled  to 
"  found  "  Local  Assembly  No.  222,  of  machinists,  of  which  he  is  still  a  r\cmber. 
In  the  meantime,  through  his  efforts,  several  other  Assemblies  had  been 
started  in  Lackawanna  County.  The  work  was  extremely  difficult,  for  at  that 
time  no  man  dare  even  mention  the  name  of  the  Knights  of  Labor.  The 
organizers  had  to  take  one  man  at  a  time  and  "sound"  him,  and  if  he  was 
deemed  discreet,  determined,  and  reliable,  he  was  "  covered  with  the  shield  " 
of  the  organization.  In  the  latter  part  of  1876,  Mr.  Powderly  and  his  col- 
leagues were  enabled  to  start  District  Assembly  No.  16,  with  six  local  Assem- 
blies in  the  jurisdiction.  He  was  elected  Secretary  of  it,  and  he  still  retains 
that  position. 

The  growth  of  the  Order  had  now  become  steady,  but  slow  and  healthy, 
but  the  great  labor  strike  of  1877  drove  thousands  of  Knights  of  Labor  out 
of  Pennsylvania.  They  went  to  the  far  West,  and  Assemblies  began  to  crop 
up  wherever  they  located.  Up  to  this  time  the  Order,  judged  from  a  national 
stand-point,  was  run  without  rudder  or  compass.  Mr.  Powderly,  with  others, 
interested  themselves  in  bringing  the  Order  under  one  general  head.  He  was 
elected  a  delegate  to  the  first  General  Assembly,  which  was  held  at  Reading, 
Pa.,  on  January  1-4,  1878,  and  represented  District  No.  5.  He  took  an  active 
part  in  the  deliberations,  and  was  a  member  of  the  committee  that  drafted  the 
Constitution  which  governs  the  Order.  His  popularity  in  the  organization 
even  at  that  early  day  was  plainly  manifested,  for  he  received  10  votes  for 
Grand  Master  Workman,  being  second  only  to  Uriah  Stephens,  who  received 
14  votes,  ani.^  was  thereby  elected.  He  was  a  delegate  from  District  Assembly 
No.  16  to  the  second  General  Assembly,  which  met  at  St.  Louis,  January  14- 
17,  1879.  H^  worked  like  a  Trojan  at  that  session,  serving  on  three  important 
committees.  He  was  elected  Grand  Worthy  Foreman  by  this  General  Assem- 
bly, and  filled  that  office  creditably  until  the  following  September,  when  the 
third  General  Assembly  met  at  Chicago,  to  which  he  was  also  a  delegate. 
Grand  Master  Workman  Stephens  did  not  attend  the  Assembly,  hence  Mr. 
Powderly,  by  virtue  of  his  office,  filled  the  Grand  Master  Workman's  chair,  and 
he  did  so  creditably.  Mr.  Stephens  had  marked  Mr.  Powderly's  abilities,  and 
selected  him  as  his  successor.    In  the  course  of  business,  Grand  Secretary 


438 


TERRENCE   VINCENT   POWDERLY. 


f- 


C.  H.  Litchman  read  a  letter  from  Mr.  Stephens,  who  declared  that  he  could 
no  longer  fill  the  office,  and  recommending  that  either  Mr.  Powderly  or  Richard 
Griffiths,  of  Chicago,  should  be  elected  Grand  Master  Workman.  Mr.  Pow- 
derly was  elected,  receiving  15  votes,  or  more  than  three-quarters  of  the  total 
vote  cast.  He  was  then  only  30  years  of  age.  It  is  not  necessary  to  speak  of 
his  efforts  from  the  time  he  was  elected  to  that  exalted  position.  He  has 
devoted  night  and  day  to  the  work,  and  has  travelled  through  nearly  every 
State  in  the  interest  of  the  Order,  arbitrating  labor  troubles,  settling  strikes, 
raising  boycotts,  and  attending  to  even  routine  matters  connected  with  the 
Knights  of  Labor.  At  this  writing  he  is  serving  his  seventh  term  as  chief  of 
the  organization,  having  been  re-elected  six  times:  At  Pittsburgh  in  1880;  at 
Detroit  in  1881 ;  at  New  York  in  1882 ;  at  Cincinnati  in  1883;  at  Philadelphia 
in  1884;  and  at  Hamilton,  Canada,  in  October,  1885. 

Like  most  Knights  of  Labor,  Mr.  Powderly  has  always  taken  an  active 
interest  in  politics.  His  herculean  efforts  in  behalf  of  the  Order  led  the 
workingmen  of  Scranton  to  place  him  in  the  field  for  Mayor,  in  the  spring  of 
1878,  much  against  his  wishes.  He  was  pitted  against  a  man  of  wealth  and 
local  influence,  but  he  was  triumphantly  elected.  He  was  only  2)  years  old 
at  the  time,  making  him  one  of  the  youngest  men  ever  raised  to  the  chief 
magistracy  of  a  city.  Scranton  had  about  40,000  inhabitants  then.  He  proved 
a  model  Mayor,  and  corrected  many  official  abuses.  One  of  his  first  acts  was 
to  abolish  the  Coal  and  Iron  Police,  a  body  of  men  who  ruled  with  an  iron 
hand.  He  filled  their  places  with  Knights  of  Labor — men  upon  whom  he 
could  rely.  Before  his  term  was  out  he  was  chosen  Grand  Master  Workman 
of  the  Knights  of  Labor.  He  was  re-elected  Mayor  two  years  later  (1880). 
He  was  supported  this  time  by  business  men  who,  two  yea/s  before,  were 
amazed  at  the  idea  of  a  mechanic  becoming  Mayor.  The  ton  .,  conduct,  and 
results  of  his  administration  had  won  them  over.  His  second  administration 
was  similar  to  the  first,  marked  by  ability,  energy,  and  fidelity  to  the  people's 
interests,  and  they  rewarded  him,  in  1882,  with  a  third  term.  His  salary  as 
Mayor  was  $1,500  a  year,  and  his  pay  as  Grand  Master  Workman  was  $400. 
One  of  the  good  results  of  his  service  as  Mayor  was  that  the  debt  of  Scranton 
was  reduced  $20,000.  He  has  been  actively  identified  with  the  National 
Greenback-Labor  party,  and  was  a  delegate  from  Pennsylvania  to  the  party's 
second  National  Convention,  held  in  Chicago  in  June,  1880,  which  nominated 
General  Weaver  for  President.  His  fellow-citizens  would  have  gladly  re- 
elected him  in  1884,  when  his  third  term  expired,  but  he  declined  to  serve  any 
longer;  he  preferred  to  devote  his  attention  to  the  Knights  of  Labor. 

He  has  been  actively  identified  with  the  Irish  Nationalist  movement. 
Although  a  thorough  American,  Mr.  Powderly  has  always  felt  for  the  land  of 
his  father,  warmly  sympathizing  with  the  Irish  people  in  their  struggles  for 
liberty,  and  he  has  filled  high  offices  in  their  councils.  He  also  took  an  active 
part  in  the  Land  League  movement,  and  was  one  of  the  National  Vice- 
Presidents  of  the  Irish  Land  League  of  America. 

His  influence  on  the  Knights  of  Labor  has  been  marked.     It  was  mainly 


\ 


FREDERICK  TURNER. 


439 


through  his  influence  that  it  was  transformed  from  a  secret,  oath-bound  organ^ 
ization  to  what  it  is  now.  He  is  a  fluent  writer,  and  his  articles  on  the  Labor 
Question  have  been  published  in  the  leading  American  magazines.  He  was 
at  one  time  editor  of  the  Labor  Advocate,  of  Scranton.  He  has  a  good  com- 
mand of  language,  and  knows  how  to  make  himself  understood.  He  is  an 
excellent  speaker,  and  his  voice  has  been  heard  in  nearly  every  city  and  town 
of  note  in  America.  He  is  about  5  feet  9  inches  in  height,  and  of  sturdy 
frame.  He  has  a  large,  finely-shaped  head,  which  now  has  a  scant  covering  of 
hair.  Intelligence  is  stamped  all  over  his  kindly  face,  which  is  lit  up  by  a  pair 
of  large  blue  eyes.  He  is  a  man  of  the  most  exemplary  character,  thoroughly 
honest,  earnest,  and  energetic.  He  is  strictly  temperate,  never  tasting  liquor  ;> 
nor  does  he  smoke  or  use  tobacco  in  any  form.  He  is  a  poor  man  in  the 
strictest  sense  of  the  word. 

After  he  became  connected  with  the  labor  movement  he  was  black-listed 
by  employers,  and  compelled  to  travel  through  several  States  in  search  of 
work.  At  one  time  he  was  so  hard  pressed  that  he  was  obliged  to  sleep  on 
the  floor  in  a  railroad  depot  in  Buffalo,  with  nothing  under  him  but  a  news- 
paper, which  served  to  keep  his  clothes  clean  and  to  do  the  duty  of  a  sheet. 
Several  years  ago  he  had  amassed  $1,000,  with  which  he  started  a  grocery 
store  in  Scranton.  It  was  an  unfortunate  venture,  and  he  lost  every 
dollar. 

He  is  an  indefatigable  worker,  and  as  a  rule  spends  fourteen  hours  a  day 
in  his  ofifice  in  Scranton.  He  has  been  known  to  have  opened,  read,  and 
arranged  answers  for  400  letters  in  one  day.  Take  him  all  in  all,  he  is  a 
splendid  specimen  of  the  American  character,  and  organized  labor  is  fortunate 
in  having  for  a  leader  such  a  man  as  Terrence  V.  Powderly. 


FREDERICK   TURNER, 

GENERAL  SECRETARY-TREASURER  OF  THE  KNIGHTS  OF  LABOR. 


ily 


Second  in  importance  to  the  General  Master  Workman  is  the  General 
Secretary-Treasurer  of  the  Knights  of  Labor.  The  growth,  interest,  and  wel- 
fare of  the  Order  are  largely  dependent  upon  him.  Frederick  Turner,  of 
District  Assembly  No.  i  of  Philadelphia,  holds  that  position  now.  Mr.  Turner 
is  an  Englishman  by  birth,  and  thoroughly  American  in  his  ideas  and  prin- 
ciples. He  was  born  in  1846.  Ten  years  later  he  came  to  America,  and 
settled  in  Philadelphia. 

He  spent  several  years  in  the  public  schools ;  then  he  entered  the  high- 
school,  which  he  left  with  a  fair  education.  He  then  learned  the  gold-beating 
trade.  He  joined  the  Knights  of  Labor  in  1873,  and  shortly  afterward  induced 
the  goldbeaters  of  Philadelphia  to  organize  Local  Assembly  No.  20.     He  set 


440 


JOHN  WILLIAM  HAYES. 


to  work  to  bring  the  craft  throughout  the  country  into  the  Order.  With 
that  end  in  view,  he  organized  Local  Assembly  No.  28  of  goldbeaters,  in 
New  York  City,  of  which  Henry  G.  Taylor,  now  chief  clerk  at  the  head- 
quarters of  the  Knights  of  Labor,  was  a 
leading  member.  This  Assembly  is  now 
dead.  His  activity  in  the  labor  movement 
made  him  a  marked  man,  and  he  found  it 
impossible  to  get  work.  He  then  opened  a 
grocery  store,  which  he  still  owns. 

He  has  been  a  local,  a  district,  and  a 
general  officer.  He  was  a  delegate  from 
District  No.  i  to  the  General  Assembly 
which  met  in  Cincinnati  in  September,  1883, 
and  was  elected  General  Secretary.  He  was 
re-elected  at  Philadelphia  in  1884;  and  at 
Hamilton,  Canada,  in  1885.  The  offices  of 
Secretary  and  Treasurer  were  rolled  into  one 
at  Philadelphia  in  September,  1884,  and  he 
was  elected  to  fill  the  dual  position.  Mr. 
Turner  is  a  resident  of  Philadelphia,  and  by 
the  laws  of  the  Knights  of  Labor  the  home 
of  the  Secretary-Treasurer  is  the  headquarters 
of  the  Order.  Mr.  Turner  presides  over  the 
general  office,  which  is  situated  at  No.  500  Locust  Street,  Philadelphia.  He 
furnishes  all  charters,  supplies,  documents,  and  literature  used  by  the  organ- 
ization. 

The  work  is  so  great  that  fifteen  clerks  are  constantly  employed  there. 
Mr.  Turner  frequently  receives  500  letters  in  a  day.  During  the  month  of 
February,  1886,  he  issued  no  less  than  515  charters.  At  this  writing  (April  3, 
1886)  over  I, OCX)  applications  for  charters  were  on  file  at  the  office.  He  is 
editor  of  the  official  journal  of  the  K.  of  L.,  and  by  virtue  of  his  office  as 
Secretary  Mr.  Turner  is  also  a  member  of  the  Executive  Board.  He  frequently 
travels  thousands  of  miles  to  arbitrate  labor  difficulties,  to  order  strikes,  to  put 
on  or  raise  boycotts.  He  figured  prominently  in  the  recent  conferences  with 
Jay  Gould  during  the  railroad  troubles  in  the  Southwest. 


FREDERICK  TURNER, 
General  Secretary-  Treasurer, 


JOHN   WILLIAM   HAYES. 

The  youngest  member  of  the  General  Executive  Board  is  John  William 
Hayes,  of  New  Brunswick,  N.  J.,  a  most  efficient  officer.  He  was  born  on 
December  26,  1854,  in  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  the  home  of  the  Order.  When  but 
a  child  he  was  taken  by  his  parents  to  Ireland,  where  he  lived  until  he  had 
grown  up.  Returning  to  New  Jersey,  he  secured  a  place  as  hrakeman  on  the 
Pennsylvania  Road  in  1870,  and  retained  It  until  1878.    He  joined  the  Knights 


HON.  CHARLES  H.  LITCHMAN. 


441 


f 


of  Labor  in  1874,  and  at  once  became  a  most  zealous  worker,  attracting  the 
attention  of  Uriah  S.  Stephens,  who  ever  afterward  was  his  friend. 

On  the  4th  of  May,  1878,  he  was  commissioned  as  an  organizer,  on  the  rec- 
ommendation  of  District  Assembly  No.  i  of 
Philadelphia.  It  was  during  that  year  that 
he  met  with  a  frightful  accident  which  nearly 
ended  his  life.  One  night,  while  on  his  way 
to  form  an  Assembly  of  the  Knights  of 
Labor,  he  fell  from  a  freight  car  on  to  the 
track.  The  wheels  passed  over  his  right 
arm,  mangling  it  frightfully,  and  rendering 
amputation  necessary.  This  was  a  terrible 
blow  to  young  Hayes,  but  he  went  to 
work  manfully  and  learned  telegraphy.  He 
worked  as  an  operator  until  1883.  He 
was  a  delegate  to  District  Assembly  No, 
45,  which  met  in  Chicago  that  year  and 
ordered  the  great  telegraphers*  strike,  which 
occurred  in  the  summer  of  that  year. 

His  activity  during  this  strike  cost  him 
his  position.  The  Western  Union  Company 
black-listed  him.  He  then  went  into  the 
grocery  business  in  New  Brunswick,  and  he 
is  still  engaged  in  it.  He  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  New  Jersey  Trade 
and  Labor  Congress,  which  was  formed  in  1879,  and  he  was  President  of  it  for 
two  terms.  He  was  a  delegate  to  the  General  Assembly  which  met  at  Phila- 
delphia, September,  1884,  and  was  then  elected  a  member  of  the  Executive 
Board.     He  was  re  elected  at  Hamilton,  Canada,  in  1885. 


JOHN  W.  HAYES, 

F. recti  live  Board, 


HON.   CHARLES   H.   LITCHMAN, 

FIRST  GRAND  SECRETARY. 

Hon.  Charles  H.  Litchman,  of  Marblehead,  Mass.,  is  a  man  to  whom  is 
due  much  of  the  success  which  has  greeted  the  Knights  of  Labor.  He  was 
born  on  April  8,  1849,  in  the  town  in  which  he  still  resides.  He  was  educated 
in  the  public  schools  until  he  was  fifteen  years  of  age,  when  he  became  a 
salesman  for  his  father,  a  shoe  manufacturer.  When  twenty-one  years  of  age 
he  went  into  the  shoe  business  with  his  brother.  He  was  a  member  of  the  firm 
four  years,  or  until  1874,  when  he  began  to  study  law.  Lack  of  money  forced 
him  to  abandon  his  studies  and  to  seek  employment  as  a  shoemaker.  He  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  School  Board,  and  was  instrumental  in  bringing  abont 
the  free  book  system. 

He  was  an  unsuccessful  Republican  nominee  for  the  State  Legislature  in 
1876  and  1877.  In  1878  he  "stumped"  Massachusetts  for  General  Butler, 
then  a  candidate  for  Governor.  The  same  year  the  Greenback-Labor  party 
sent  him  to  the  Legislature.     He  devoted  ail  of  his  attention  during  the 


442 


WILLIAM   H.   BAILEY. 


session  of  1879  ^o  ^^^  question  of  convict  labor.     He  succeeded  in  forcing  the 

appointment  of  a  special  committee,  which 
travelled  through  Massachusetts,  New  York, 
and  Pennsylvania,  in  search  of  information  on 
the  convict  labor  question.  He  was  chairm.an 
of  the  committee.  Mr.  Litchman  was  elected 
Grand  Scribe  of  the  Massachusetts  Grand 
Lodge  of  the  Knights  of  St.  Crispin  in  1876. 

He  joined  the  Knights  of  Labor  in  New 
York  City  in  1877,  and  he  was  largely  instru- 
mental in  forming  the  General  Assembly  in 
1878,  to  which  he  was  a  delegate.  He  was 
the  first  Grand  Secretary,  and  was  re-elected 
three  times.  He  was  the  first  Secretary  of  the 
Insurance  Fund.  He  was  a  delegate  to  the 
.\^ational  Labor  Convention  at  Chicago,  in 
June,  1880,  of  which  body  he  was  Secretary; 
and  a  delegate  to  the  same  party's  Convention 
at  Indianapolis  in  1884.  He  is  high  up  in  the 
councils  of  the  Freemasons,  Odd  Fellows,  the 
Red  Men,  the  Royal  Arcanum,  and  Past  Grand 
Commander  of  the  Massachusetts  Commandery  of  the  American  Legion  of 
Honor.  He  has  ably  managed  several  papers  as  editor,  and  as  a  speaker  he 
is  known  all  over  the  country.  Like  his  colleagues,  Messrs.  Powderly  and 
Beaumont,  he  is  strictly  temperate. 


HON.  CHARLES  H.   LITCHMAN, 
First  Grand  Secretary. 


WILLIAM    H.   BAILEY. 

William  H.  Bailey,  the  Ohio  member  of 
the  General  Executive  Board,  is  a  Canadian 
by  birth,  having  been  born  in  Hamilton, 
Canada,  in  1846,  His  parents  settled  down 
m  Ohio  when  he  was  a  child.  He  received 
a  common  school  education.  As  soon  as  he 
was  able  he  went  to  work  at  coal  mining, 
which  calling  he  has  followed  most  of  his 
life.  He  joined  the  Knights  of  Labor  about 
ten  years  ago,  and  is  one  of  the  leading 
members  of  District  Assembly  No.  7.  He 
was  an  organizer  for  years,  and  his  activity 
in  that  capacity  gained  him  a  place  on  the 
black-lists  of  the  mining  corporations  of  Ohio. 

He  found  it  impossible  to  get  employ- 
ment, and  was  preparing  to  leave  Ohio, 
when  the  citizens  of  Shawnee  made  him 


WILLIAM   H.   BAILEY. 
G*neral  Exicutivt   Board. 


•  * 


RALPH   BEAUMONT. 


443 


Chief  of  Police.  He  has  frequently  been  a  delegate  to  the  General  Assembly, 
and  was  elected  a  member  of  the  General  Executive  Board  of  the  Knights 
of  Labor  in  1884,  and  was  re-elected  in  1885.  He  is  a  quiet,  unassuming 
man,  of  fine  physique.  He  distinguished  himself  in  settling  the  great  glovers' 
strike  at  Gloversville,  N.  Y.,  and  the  mill  strike  at  Cohoes,  N.  Y.,  in  the  spring 
of  18S6.  These  strikes  involved  20,000  persons,  and  one  of  them  had  lasted 
months. 


RALPH   BEAUMONT, 

ELECTED   FIF<ST  GRAND  WORTHY   FOREMAN,    1 878 -1 882. 

Ralph  Beaumont,  of  Addison,  N.  Y.,  is  one  of  the  leading  members  of  the 
Knights  of  Labor,  and  is  noted  in  labor  circles  as  a  brilliant  speaker,  a 
thorough  organizer,  and  a  fluent  writer.  He  was  born  in  Yorkshire,  England, 
on  April  7,  1844,  and  he  was  but  little  more 
than  an  infant  when  his  parents  came  to 
America,  settling  down  at  Dudley,  Mass. 
His  father  was  a  spinner.  Ralph  went  to  the 
public  school  until  he  reached  his  tenth 
year,  when  stern  necessity  compelled  him  to 
begin  to  earn  a  living. 

He  was  apprenticed  to  a  shoemaker,  and 
he  followed  the  shoemaking  trade  for  eight 
years.  The  story  of  the  war  for  the  preser- 
vation of  the  Union  fired  his  young  heart, 
and  although  only  eighteen  years  old  at  the 
time,  he  joined  the  Seventh  Rhode  Island 
Regiment,  and  served  his  country  until  white- 
winged  peace  again  hovered  over  the  land. 
He  then  settled  down  in  Elmira,  N.  Y.,  and 
resumed  his  trade.  It  is  nearly  twenty  years 
since  he  entered  the  labor  movement.  His 
ability  as  a  speaker  soon  gained  him  a  reputa- 
tion, which  time  has  brightened.  He  was 
one  of  the  charter  members  of  Local  Assembly  No.  204  of  the  Knights  of 
Labor,  which  was  organized  in  Elmira  years  ago.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
first  General  Assembly  of  the  Order  at  Reading,  Pa.,  in  1878. 

By  a  flattering  vote  he  was  elected  first  Grand  Worthy  Foreman  of  the 
Order.  Four  years  later,  when  the  General  Assembly  met  in  New  York  City, 
he  was  again  raised  to  that  dignity.  Since  then  he  has  served  two  terms  on  the 
Co-operative  Board.  At  the  General  Assembly  which  met  at  Cincinnati  in 
September,  1883,  he  was  a  formidable  nominee  for  Grand  Ma.>ter  Workman, 
but  he  was  not  anxious  to  get  the  position.  He  took  an  active  part  in  the 
National  Labor  party  movement,  and  was  a  candidate  for  Congress  in  1878, 
and  polled  19,000  votes. 


RALPH  BEAUMONT, 
First  Grand  Worthy  Foreman. 


444 


HOMER   L.   McG AW.— THOMAS  B.   BARRY. 


He  has  spoken  on  the  labor  question  in  most  of  the  principal  cities.  For 
the  past  six  years  he  has  been  engaged  as  a  newspaper  writer.  Mr.  Beaumont 
is  a  married  man,  and  the  father  of  four  children.  He  is  strictly  temperate, 
using  neither  liquor  nor  tobacco  in  any  form. 


HOMER   L.   McG  AW, 

GENERAL  INSURANCE  SECRETARY  OF  THE  KNIGHTS  OF  LABOR. 

Homer  L.  McGaw,  the  General  Insurance  Secretary  of  the  Knights  of 
Labor,  was  born  in  Bethlehem,  Stark  County,  Ohio,  on  April  8,  1H48,  of 
Scotch-Irish  parentage.     When  only  seven  years  of  age  he  entered  a  country 

printing-office  as  devil.  He  afterward  served 
in  the  War  of  the  Rebellion  as  a  drummer- 
boy.  He  paid  his  way  through  college  with 
the  money  saved  while  in  the  army,  and  grad- 
uated with  honors.  He  has  livfed  in  Pitts- 
burgh for  twenty-one  years,  and  has  held 
many  positions  of  trust  and  responsibility, 
being  cashier  of  a  bank  before  he  was  twenty- 
one  years  old. 

For  many  years  he  has  conducted  a  print- 
ing-office. He  organized  one  of  the  first 
Assemblies  of  the  Knights  of  Labor  west  of 
the  Allegheny  Mountains,  in  his  printing- 
office,  also  assisting  in  organizing  District 
Assembly  No.  3,  the  first  District  in  the  West, 
whose  limits  at  one  time  included  Iowa. 

At  the  session  of  the  General  Assembly  of 
HOMER  L.  MCGAW,  ^he   Order  held   at  Cincinnati   in  1883,    Mr 

Gen.  Ins.  Secretary.  McGaw  was  clccted  to  the  officc  of  General 

Insurance  Secretary,  and  at  each  succeeding  session  he  has  been  re-elected 
by  acclamation.  He  has  succeeded  in  building  up  within  the  Order  a  system 
of  life  insurance,  which,  for  $500  indemnity,  costs  but  the  trifle  of  one  cent 
per  day.  Great  good  has  already  been  accomplished  by  the  insurance  feature 
of  the  Order— the  widows  and  orphans  of  its  members  have  been  relieved, 
and  the  desolate  hearthstones  made  bright  and  happy.  At  last  reports  the 
fund  was  getting  300  members  a  month. 


t 


THOMAS  B.  BARRY. 


The  Hon.  Thomas  B.  Barry,  member  of  the  General  Executive  Board  of 
the  Knights  of  Labor,  was  born  on  July  17,  1852,  in  Cohoes,  Albany  County, 
N.  Y.     He  went  to  work  in  a  cotton-mill  when  eight  years  of  age,  and 


U 


JOHN   G.   CAVILLE. 


445 


worked  fourteen  and  sixteen  hours  a  day,  until  he  was  sixteen,  when  he  be- 
came an  axe-maker.  He  afterward  worked  at  his  trade  in  Cleveland,  Ohio. 
He  took  part  in  a  now  famous  strike  there  and  mortgaged  his  property  to 
supply  the  strikers  with  funds.  The  strike 
failed  and  Mr.  Barry  lost  whatever  property 
he  had,  $6,(X)0  in  all.  He  then  moved  to 
East  Saginaw,  Michigan,  from  which  city  he 
was  sent  to  the  Legislature  in  1884.  He  was 
the  author  of  the  Ten-Hour  Law  which  ob- 
tains in  Michigan. 

Mr.  Barry  joined  the  Knights  of  Labor 
over  twelve  years  ago,  and  has  been  an  or- 
ganizer since  1880.  He  has  been  a  delegate 
to  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Knights  of 
Labor  several  times.  He  was  elected  to 
the  General  Executive  Board  at  Cincinnati  in 
1883,  and  re-elected  at  Hamilton,  Canada, 
in  1885. 

The  famous  strike  of  the  Saginaw  Valley 
saw-mill  employes  began  on  July  10,  1885, 
and  by  an  almost  unanimous  vote  he  was 
asked  to  lead  it.  Six  days  later  he  was  ar- 
rested twice  and  charged  with  conspiracy. 
Two  days  still  later  he  was  arrested  on  the  same  charge.  He  had  to  furnish 
$6,000  bail  on  each  charge.  He  was  again  arrested  on  the  same  charge,  and 
a  civil  suit  for  $10,000  was  instituted  against  him.  He  was  tried  for  con- 
spiracy in  January,  1886,  and  he  had  an  imposing  array  of  counsel  who  were 
retained  by  the  workingmen  of  Michigan,  who  raised  a  large  "defence  fund." 
The  jury  was  out  twenty-four  hours,  but  it  failed  to  find  Mr.  Barry  guilty. 
Mr.  Barry  is  a  man  of  family  and  is  strictly  temperate. 


THOMAS  B.  BARRY, 
Af ember  o/  General  Executive  Board. 


t 


f 


JOHN   G.  CAVILLE. 


Mr.  John  G.  Caville,  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  General  Auditor  of  the  Kni';hts  of 
Labor,  and  the  first  man  to  hold  that  office,  is  a  native  of  the  City  of 
Churches.  He  was  born  on  Thanksgiving  day,  1855.  He  began  work  when 
only  nine  years  of  age.  When  fifteen  years  of  age  he  went  to  Davenport, 
Iowa,  in  1870,  and  became  travelling  agent  for  a  hardware  house.  Returning 
to  Brooklyn  he  married  an  estimable  young  woman.  He  secured  a  responsible 
position  in  an  ink  house  and  remained  there  several  years. 

He  joined  the  Knights  of  Labor  in  1880,  and  he  helped  to  organize  the 
Spread  the  Light  Club,  a  noted  labor  reform  organization,  which  served  as  a  re- 
cruiting office  for  the  Knights  in  Brooklyn.  He  has  been  Secretary  of  District 
Assembly  No.  49,  and  represented  it  in  the  Philadelphia  General  Assembly  in 
1884,  which  body  created  and  elected  him  to  the  office  of  General  Auditor. 


